Two Lehigh Valley men were arrested after stealing from an area Walmart, leading police on a chase and using drugs.

On April 25, Mahoning Township Police were dispatched to Walmart for a retail theft.  The suspects, later identified as Elias Cruz and Manuel Antonio Rivera-Agosto, both of Allentown, fled before officers arrived on scene.Mahoning Township Police requested neighboring police departments watch for the vehicle.  Within four minutes Franklin Township police spotted the vehicle in the parking lot of a gas station on SR443.  Before officers could attempt to stop the vehicle it accelerated and drove into the oncoming traffic lane onto the Mccall Bridge.The vehicle then went down 248 before turning around at Union Hill Road.  The vehicle continued into Weissport traveling down a dead end road along the train tracks. Rivera-Agosto and Cruz fled the vehicle leaving behind two large screen TV’S and used needles. Cruz was apprehended a short distance from the vehicle. Rivera-Agosto eluded capture for a brief period of time.  Officers were able to utilize GPS tracking on Rivera-Agosto’s cellphone as he fled the area in another vehicle on SR248.  He was taken into custody by Walnutport and Slatington Police.During interviews with police Cruz admitted using K2, a synthetic drug, and Rivera-Agosto admitted using heroin.

Cruz has been charged with driving under the influence of controlled substance (misdemeanor); fleeing or attempting to elude police (felony); retail theft (misdemeanor); criminal conspiracy-retail theft (misdemeanor); reckless driving (summary); driving on right side of roadway (summary two counts); fraudulent use or removal of a registration plate (summary).Rivera-Agosto has been charged with retail theft (felony); criminal conspiracy-retail theft (felony); and possession of drug paraphernalia (misdemeanor).

Both placed in Carbon County Prison pending arraignment.