BY VINCENT MANAL
Two men suspected of stealing mobile phones using a Toyota Prado have been arrested in Kisumu after a high-speed chase that ended with their vehicle crashing into an electric pole.
The suspects, identified as William Onyango Odhiambo and Felix Owino Onyango, were arrested after detectives intercepted a black Toyota Prado, registration number KDX 642Y, believed to have been used in a series of robberies in Kisumu town and its environs.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the operation followed a report by a woman who told police that she and her friends had been robbed of five mobile phones by people travelling in a black Prado.
“Armed with actionable intelligence, detectives swung into action, trailing down the vehicle believed to be connected to the robbery,” the DCI said.
However, the driver allegedly refused to stop when detectives moved in to intercept the vehicle, triggering a high-speed pursuit through the town.
Police said officers were forced to shoot at the vehicle’s tyres after the driver continued to defy their orders to stop.
The tyres were punctured near Oile Park, causing the vehicle to veer out of control before crashing into an electric pole. The collision damaged the front-right side of the Prado, bringing the attempted escape to an abrupt end.
The two suspects were arrested as they attempted to flee from the wreckage.
A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded a black pistol and three mobile phones, which were detained as exhibits as detectives pursued investigations into the suspects’ possible links to other robberies.
The DCI said the two remained in custody undergoing processing pending arraignment in court.
Investigators are now seeking to establish whether the suspects were involved in what police described as a series of cross-border robberies.
“The DCI remains steadfast in pursuing criminal elements and dismantling networks that threaten the safety and security of Kenyans,” the agency said.
