SOCORRO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — Two 17-year-olds, Cesar Gonzalez and Jacob Julian Zambrano, were arrested for aggravated robbery after stealing a vehicle at gunpoint during a test drive in Socorro, Texas.
According to the Socorro Police Department, on September 22, a male victim reported being robbed while selling his vehicle through Facebook Marketplace. The suspects arranged a meeting to test drive the car and requested to take it to a desert area near the 11400 block of North Loop Drive to test its four-wheel drive.
Once in the remote area, one suspect allegedly pulled a handgun on the seller, ordered him to his knees, and fled the scene with the stolen vehicle.
Later, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers spotted the vehicle swerving near Lee Trevino Blvd. and I-10 Westbound. A pursuit followed, resulting in the arrest of Gonzalez and Zambrano.
Jacob Zambrano faces charges of aggravated assault, evading arrest (no bond), and is pending an additional charge of aggravated robbery.
Cesar Gonzalez was charged with aggravated robbery ($150,000 bond), unlawful carrying of a weapon ($5,000 bond), and evading arrest ($2,000 bond).
Chief of Police Robert C. Rojas commended the joint effort with DPS, which led to the swift capture of the suspects.
The Socorro Police Department reminded residents to meet in public places for online transactions, recommending the police station’s monitored lot for added safety.
