Police say three teens used a fake handgun to rob an Uber driver early Thursday in Hermosa Beach. But rather than call police, the driver chased the alleged thieves himself, leading to their arrest.

The driver was standing outside his car about 1:20 a.m. in a grocery store parking lot when a teenager approached him, brandished a gun and ordered the driver to hand over his phone and cash, according to the Hermosa Beach Police Department.

The thief fled in a vehicle with two passengers, and the driver chased the trio from the 700 block of Pier Avenue to Lawndale, about four miles away.

At some point, the Uber driver waved down a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, who stopped the suspects.


Police arrested Anthony Mateo, 19, and Alexis Stewart, 19, both of Los Angeles, along with Dwuan Jennings, 18, of Pomona. They are being held in lieu of $100,000 bond each.

After the arrest, investigators recovered the stolen property along with a fake handgun, police said.

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