Police have identified two men arrested following Wednesday’s early-morning chase through south Phoenix that ended with the vehicle crashing into the backyard of a home.

Gabriel Garcia, 18, was identified by police as the vehicle’s driver. Police said he was booked for investigation of armed robbery with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, auto theft, misconduct involving weapons and unlawful flight from law enforcement. 

Garcia’s 28-year-old passenger, Antonio Castillo, also was arrested on suspicion of aiding Garcia. Police said he was being held for investigation of car theft, armed robbery and kidnapping with injury. 

According to court documents, Castillo “was just released from prison on felony convictions” on April 30. Garcia turned 18 on March 10. 

The incident started just before 4 a.m. Wednesday, when police say two men robbed two people at gunpoint at a Shell gas station at 27th Avenue and Indian School Road in Phoenix.

Court records say the men took a Mercedes, along with a cellphone and money from the victims. Court records say Garcia pointed a gun on the driver’s side, while Castillo entered from the passenger side of the vehicle.

An unidentified witness sitting at a nearby bus stop saw the entire incident, according to court records. That witness had been approached earlier by the two men who asked for a cigarette, and was able to provide descriptions similar to those provided by the car’s owner, court records said.

According to court documents, police were able to track the vehicle through the stolen cellphone that still was in the vehicle. That led officers to an area near Sixth Avenue and Roeser Street in south Phoenix about 20 minutes after the initial carjacking, court records said.

When officers tried pulling the vehicle over, it sped off. Police lost sight of the car briefly, but soon saw it had crashed through a backyard fence located across from a Phoenix police precinct station, court records said.

Both men fled from the vehicle and ran from police, court records said.

Officers with a K9 unit police dog located Garcia in a backyard a few houses away, court records said. About 20 minutes later, they found Castillo in the backyard of another nearby home, court records said.

Police also recovered a gun believed to have been used in the robbery, according to court documents.

Garcia was held with bond set at $75,000 and a court date on May 18.

Castillo is being held with bond set at $150,000 and a May 17 court date. 

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