Robbery Suspects Captured Quickly After Chase

A man and woman accused of committing a robbery at Fourth and New streets in South Bethlehem Tuesday afternoon were quickly apprehended after a car chase into the neighboring borough of Freemansburg, police said.

The robbery occurred shortly before 2:30 p.m. and the victim, a woman, was injured during the robbery and needed to be treated for minor injuries at in Fountain Hill, police said.

A Good Samaritan saw the robbery and immediately called 911 to report the robbery, giving emergency dispatchers a description of the car, the license plate number and the direction of travel, police said.  The car was moving east on Fourth Street.

An unmarked police car attempted to stop the car at Fourth Street and Lynn Avenue, but the suspects ignored the lights and sirens and kept going, turning on Shimersville Road and going into Freemansburg with city officers in pursuit, police said.

Another Bethlehem squad car coming from the other direction on Main Street in Freemansburg and the suspects were taken into custody.

There was no information immediately available on the identities of the suspects. But police have recovered the stolen purse and impounded the getaway car, police said.

“The quick, decisive action on part of a citizen giving a good description of the getaway car and a license number was instrumental in our officers being able to take these suspects into custody within minutes of the robbery,” the police said in its blog post on the incident.