WILDOMAR: Stolen vehicle pursuit ends with fatal officer-involved shooting

WILDOMAR – A subject was fatally shot at the end of a dangerous, high-speed pursuit Saturday, Oct. 22. The pursuit began in the city of Murrieta and ended after the driver allegedly rammed several Murrieta Police patrol vehicles in the city of Wildomar. One Murrieta police officer was injured in the incident, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Deputy Armando Muñoz.

The incident began about 2 a.m., when officers from the Murrieta Police Department observed a stolen van being driven near Murrieta Hot Springs Road and Interstate 15 in Murrieta.

“Shortly thereafter, officers from the Murrieta Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic enforcement stop but the driver of the vehicle failed to stop and a pursuit ensued,” Muñoz explained in a written press release from the sheriff’s department.

The driver of the vehicle, who has not been identified, refused to yield and accelerated away from officers at a high rate of speed. The alleged suspect drove northbound onto the Interstate 15 Freeway.

The pursuit continued north on I-15 until the suspect exited Bundy Canyon Road, in Wildomar.

After exiting the freeway, “the pursuit continued through several streets and the vehicle collided into a fence in the area of the 32500 block of Mesa Drive,” Muñoz explained.

After the driver smashed through a fence at the end of Mesa Drive, officers attempted to apprehend the driver, “who purposely accelerated and collided into multiple Murrieta Police patrol vehicles,” Muñoz explained. “The suspect also drove toward the officers’ direction and an officer involved shooting occurred.”

Officers immediately began to attempt life saving measures for the suspect and requested paramedics for medical assistance; however, the suspect succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

After the deadly shooting, Murrieta Police officials requested the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to conduct an independent investigation. Investigators from the department’s Central Homicide Unit responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.

The identity of the suspect is being withheld due to the ongoing investigation and pending notification of the person’s family.

“A Murrieta Police Officer was treated and released from a local hospital for injuries sustained during this incident,” according to Muñoz. The nature of his injuries or how he was injured was not released.

The involved officers, who have not yet been identified, have been placed on administrative leave per Murrieta Police Department’s policy.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Investigator Martin Alfaro with the Riverside County Sheriff Department’s Central Homicide Unit at (760) 393-3500. Callers can refer to incident file number R162960001 and can remain anonymous.

 

 

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Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.