Police: Man causes 3 collisions after Durham armed robbery

Deputies said they responded to a call of an armed robbery at the Wilco Hess at 1400 South Miami Boulevard just before 3 p.m. and found Willie Mortez Daniel, 46, of Oxford in the parking lot where he had stolen a woman’s purse.

Authorities said that Daniel fled on foot to a nearby restaurant, where he found an 82-year-old woman inside a truck, pulled her from the vehicle, and pushed her to the ground before driving away at a high rate of speed on U.S. Highway 70.

Daniel’s attempt to flee authorities resulted in three collisions, authorities said. The first occurred at East End Avenue, the second at North Miami at Liberty Street and the third in the parking lot of the Wellons Village Shopping Center, where Daniel abandoned the stolen truck and attempted to flee on foot, deputies said.

Authorities said that nobody was seriously injured in any of the collisions, but a child inside the parked vehicle struck in the Wellons Village parking lot was taken to the hospital for observation.

Daniel was charged with attempted robbery, armed robbery of a person, assault, larceny of a vehicle, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and resisting arrest. He was being held at the Durham County Detention Facility.