Newspaper Ad Leads To Home Invasion, Robbery

WESTMINSTER, Colo. -- Three suspects were arrested Thursday night for allegedly robbing a man of his plasma TV and leading police on a 10-minute chase that ended in a crash with a street light.

The names and ages of the robbers have not been released, although some are reported to be in their teens, Westminster police said.

James Reynolds told investigators that around 8:30 p.m. three gunmen burst into his apartment at the Cascade Village complex in Westminster and staged a take-over style robbery. They bound him and then took off with a lot of his electronic equipment, including a plasma TV that he had advertised for sale in the newspaper, Westminster police said.

When the robbers fled, Reynolds freed himself of his restraints, ran to a neighbor's apartment for help and called police. He told investigators that he recognized one of the attackers as a prospective buyer whom he had invited into his apartment and shown his TV to earlier in the day.

Reynolds told police that the prospective buyer drove a dark-gray Chevrolet Avalanche. Officers spotted a vehicle matching that description driving in the area of the robbery and tried to stop it.

But instead of pulling over, the vehicle took off, going at speeds of up to 80 mph, leading police on a chase that covered U.S. Highway 36, 92nd Avenue, Federal Boulevard and 84th Avenue. About 10 minutes into the police pursuit, the driver of the Avalanche lost control and slammed into a street light at 8th Avenue near Pecos Street, Westminster police said.

All three occupants of the vehicle ran from the vehicle and were caught within 10 minutes. The three suspects were transported to area hospitals for injuries sustained in the accident. The injuries do not appear to be serious, Westminster police spokesman Tim Read said.

Reynolds was not injured and there were no other accidents related to the police pursuit.