A 28-year-old man suspected of committing an armed carjacking in Phoenix was arrested Thursday in Blythe by Riverside County Sheriff’s Department deputies.
The department’s Colorado River Station received a tip about a car that was stolen during an armed carjacking in Phoenix that was traveling towards Blythe with a suspect who was considered armed and dangerous, said Sgt. Ed Reynoso.
Deputies saw the vehicle enter Blythe at 8:05 a.m., stopped the vehicle and arrested the driver, Lenny Vanhorenbeeck, of Mesa, Arizona, Reynoso said.
A shotgun that was leaning on the passenger side of the center console inside of the vehicle was recovered and Vanhorenbeeck was booked at the Blythe Jail for possession of stolen property and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Personnel from the Colorado River Station are working closely with the Mesa Police Department and Phoenix Police Department on additional criminal charges being sought in Arizona related to this case, Reynoso said.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department encourages anyone with information regarding this case to call Deputy Ritchie at 760-921-7900.