Suspects try to run over police officer

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - For weeks now, Albuquerque police have been out patrolling shopping centers and mall parking lots making arrests. Police say that extra security may have helped prevent another crime on Sunday.

The Coronado Mall turned into a crime scene Sunday afternoon.

Police say they saw a man and a woman driving a white van around the mall parking lot, stopping women with shopping bags and purses.

When police confronted them - things got hairy. 

"The vehicle sped at a high rate of speed through the parking lot and hit about six cars,” says Sgt. Ferris Simmons with Albuquerque Police.

The driver backed into a mall security car and tried to run over a police officer, hurting his foot, before driving through a fence and getting stuck.

The suspects tried to make a run for it, one threw a stolen gun out in the process, but police got them.

"There's, from what I understand, some very high-dollar purses, a lot of bags inside of that vehicle,” says Sgt. Simmons. “From what I understand, Louis Vuitton was mentioned.”

Police don't know yet if those pricey purses were stolen, but criminal activity around retailers isn't that unusual this holiday season.

Police arrested a man and a 14-year-old boy on Saturday for stealing from this JC Penney's in northwest Albuquerque.

The day before, police arrested this woman and her daughter for shoplifting at Walmart on Coors southwest.

But police say Sunday’s events show extra patrols are making a difference.

“Having extra resources on scene, we got officers over to address that right away and try to prevent crime as opposed to cleaning up after it,” says Sgt. Simmons.

Even shop owners at Old Town say they have noticed.

"The city's been great. You can tell that during the high periods, Balloon Fiesta and any of the holidays, they increase the police presence and in the last month there have been notably more officers around Old Town,” says Connie Fulwyler of Old Town Antiques.

The man and woman police arrested Saturday could face charges for having a stolen firearm, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and property damage.

The injured police officer went to the hospital but is expected to be okay.