Manteca Police officers were instrumental in locating a Stockton armed robbery suspect Wednesday morning initiating a high speed pursuit that ended in the arrest of transient Alex Lomas,  43.

Lomas was being sought by Stockton detectives for the armed robbery of a service station in their city, according to Manteca Detective Gregg Beall.

Manteca patrolman Armen Avakian spotted the suspect vehicle parked on the east side of Manteca  in the 2000 block of Falmoth Circle at around 9 a.m..  Avakian alerted detectives that moved into the area and kept watch on the late model Nissan Maxima that had been reported stolen earlier.

Investigators Gregg Beall and Rob Armosino along with Sgt. Chris Mraz of the Street Crimes Unit watched as the suspect left a residence and drove away in the vehicle.  The detectives in their unmarked units followed at a distance as the suspect entered the Highway 99 northbound freeway lanes headed toward Stockton.

Beall said they were waiting for a marked Manteca Police unit to catch up with them before attempting a traffic stop on the vehicle.  Officer Barry Blackburn took the lead at Lathrop Road and waited until nearing French Camp Road to initiate the traffic stop.

The suspect reportedly exited at French Camp Road and drove through the stop sign and then headed westbound from the freeway reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. Officers said he turned northbound onto El Dorado Boulevard in South Stockton and exited into a neighborhood off of H Street.

Manteca officers said they momentarily lost him in the residential area, but they had already notified Stockton Police and the DELTARAT auto theft task force for backup. A DELTARAT Sheriff’s deputy located the man as he was walking away from the car, police said, to make the arrest.

Stockton detectives booked the man for armed robbery as Manteca detectives subsequently booked him on charges of felony evading police officers with wanton disregard for public safety in the pursuit.

For the fresh charged on Wednesday and added warrants from San Joaquin and Alameda counties he is being held in San Joaquin County Jail in lieu of $241,000.  No court date has been set.