Atascadero strong-armed robbery leads to chase and arrest of two suspects on Highway 101 near Gonzales, officers say

GONZALES, Calif. (KION) -- Two strong-armed robbery suspects were arrested in the Gonzales area after being chased through parts of Monterey County at 130 miles per hour on Wednesday night.

An Atascadero Police Commander told KION that they received a report of a strong-armed robbery that occurred at a Walgreens pharmacy located at the 8000 of El Camino Real around 6:24 p.m.

Officers said that one of the suspects assaulted a Walgreens employee and the suspects left in a vehicle.

Investigators said that the injured employee told them the suspect was loading merchandise in a large trash bag inside the store. The employee told a coworker to call the police and watched as the suspect started to walk to the exit door.

The employee followed the suspect and told him to stop at which point the suspect had hit the employee in the face. A second suspect was also seen exiting the store carrying unpaid merchandise in her arms. Both suspects got into a vehicle and left the scene.

CHP King City said that a be on the lookout alert was issued out of Atascadero. Officers said that spike strips were deployed on Highway 101 and Camphora Gloria Road.

Investigators said the spike was successful and the pursuit ended near the 5th Street exit when a vehicle went into a ditch off Highway 101.

Investigators said they approached the suspect's vehicle with guns drawn, but found the suspects escaped through a tunnel into a nearby housing area.

Police identified the suspects as 29-year-old Nashawn Goldie Smith of Stockton and 25-year-old Justice Anika Busby of Daily City

Atascadero Police drove up to Gonzales and took Smith and Busby into San Luis Obispo County Jail. Smith faces multiple charges including robbery, battery and conspiracy per police.

Busby was booked into jail on multiple charges including conspiracy and shoplifting charges.

This is a developing story