Carjacking suspect arrested in Arizona after threatening truck passengers in New Mexico

SAN SIMON, AZ (AZFamily) — A man suspected of carjacking a pickup truck near the New Mexico border was arrested in Arizona on Friday afternoon. Police say the stolen SUV he may be tied to belongs to a man who was found severely beaten in Tempe.

It began shortly after 12:30 p.m., when New Mexico State Police responded to a report of a man forcing his way into a pickup truck just east of the New Mexico-Arizona border and threatening to kill the driver and passengers

When officers arrived, the pickup, which was hauling a camper, was gone. They found an abandoned black GMC Yukon parked facing the wrong direction on the westbound off-ramp. According to NMSP, the Yukon had been stolen out of Tempe.

Because they were the closest law enforcement, NMSP officers got on Interstate 10 and headed into Arizona. At 1:15 p.m., they found the pickup in San Simon, where the passengers had been able to force the man out of the truck.

Police identified the man as Samuel Goodrick. He was arrested and taken to an Arizona hospital for evaluation.

The investigation also uncovered a disturbing development involving the stolen Yukon. Police learned that its registered owner had been found severely beaten in Tempe and that the victim remains on life support.

It is unclear whether Goodrick is connected to the theft of the Yukon or the assault on its owner. Tempe police are handling that investigation.

New Mexico State Police said they will pursue criminal charges against Goodrick for any offenses committed in New Mexico. He remains in the custody of Arizona law enforcement.

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