Wa She Shu Travel Plaza theft suspects in custody

A high-speed pursuit in California resulted in the capture of four California men accused of raiding the Wa She Shu Travel Plaza south of Gardnerville on Thursday morning.

A group of men entered the Travel Plaza around 10:50 a.m. and filled garbage bags with cigarettes and merchandise before running out and getting in what was described as a silver mini-van.

No weapon was produced during the theft.

They were able to evade responding Douglas County deputies and were speeding up Highway 88 near Emigrant Trail 15 minutes later when a California Highway Patrol officer spotted the van doing 86 mph in the 55 mph zone.

The driver of the van didn’t stop and continued up the highway accelerating to 95 mph. That pursuit was underway when California received the broadcast to look for the van.

The van turned onto Highway 89 toward South Lake Tahoe where authorities deployed a spike strip that deflated the van’s front tires.

Arrested were Oakland residents Ali Tali Garry Muhammad, 22, and Herbert Walter Kinchen, 23, Roseville resident Isaiah Christopher Jennings, 22, and Inglewood resident Antoine Dewayne Ellis, 21.

The stolen merchandise, which the CHP is valuing at more than $8,000, was returned on Thursday afternoon.

There was no report of injury as a result of the incident.