Approximately 12 police officers and 5 deputies responded to the report of an armed robbery on Friday, May 12, 2023. Authorities arrested Isaiah Moran just before 9:00 pm for armed robbery, aggravated assault and aggravated assault on a peace officer, and unlawful flight from pursuing law enforcement.
According to the police report, Moran entered the Dollar General on Highway 70 in Safford at approximately 8:15 pm wearing sun glasses and a red mask. He had a hoodie pulled over his head and a gun in his hand. He allegedly approached a store employee and demanded that she open the safe. The employee replied that she could not get into the safe. Moran then demanded that she get the other employee to open the safe. The employee apparently shoved the would-be robber and chased him out of the store. She later told investigators that she didn’t want Moran to point the gun at the other employee.
A couple had just pulled up to the store when Moran made his hasty exit. The passenger told police that she was about to open the car door when her boyfriend grabbed her. The couple witnessed the suspect fleeing the scene with a gun in his left hand. They watched as the suspect ran to the east side of the building and jumped into a tan Chevy Silverado.
The woman called 911, while her boyfriend followed the suspect as he drove away from the scene. They followed the get away vehicle to Jensen Hill on Highway 191, where the vehicle pulled over to the side of the road. The police sped past the vehicle, which then turned right onto Discovery Park Blvd. The woman informed dispatched that authorities had passed the suspect’s vehicle and that the suspect was behind them. An officer got behind the suspect’s vehicle and began a pursuit that took authorities on a chase that ranged from Solomon to Thatcher. The suspect reportedly weaved into oncoming traffic during the pursuit, which involved speed in excess of 90 MPH.
Ultimately, the suspect’s vehicle was disabled when it ran over spikes that had been placed in the 2400 block of Golf Course Road. The Silverado pulled over on the right side of the road. Officers surrounded the vehicle, and the suspect was taken into custody without further incident. The vehicle was towed from the scene and secured for evidence.
After being interviewed by detectives, Moran was booked into the Graham County Jail.
