Anchorage police say five teenagers have been arrested for a "brazen" 10-minute, early-morning crime spree in which they robbed three people walking in Anchorage's Spenard neighborhood at gunpoint, pistol-whipping one.
Police caught up to the group and arrested the five within an hour.
Their getaway car couldn't have been much more conspicuous: a yellow 2007 Hummer H3 with a broken headlight.
"This is a pretty … distinct vehicle," said Anchorage Police Department spokesman MJ Thim.
The reported robberies all happened within 10 minutes, Thim said.
The first incident was reported at 1:57 a.m. at Wisconsin Street and Spenard Road. The victim was walking when an SUV full of young men pulled up and tried to rob the person at gunpoint.
"The first victim refused and as a result was pistol-whipped," Thim said.
The victim was taken to a hospital with a head injury, police said.
Just two minutes later, at 2 a.m. they approached and robbed another victim at Spenard Road and Turnagain Boulevard.
A third robbery was reported at 2:06 a.m. in the 2400 block of Spenard Road, near the intersection with West Fireweed Lane.
Witnesses described the same Hummer SUV in all three robberies.
At 2:45 a.m. police saw the yellow Hummer at Minnesota Drive and Spenard Road.
Officers followed it and called for backup, with police surrounding the SUV for a "high-risk traffic stop" because police knew the passengers were armed.
Police arrested Joshua Jackson, 18, and Lamont Mathews, 19, on charges including robbery and assault. Jackson was the driver of the vehicle.
Three juveniles were also arrested. Their names are not being released because they are under 18 and their cases will be handled through the juvenile justice system.
Thim said he didn't know whether more than one of the people in the car robbed the victims or what kind of gun was used.
The Hummer SUV belonged to the parent of one of the teenagers, Thim said.