TEMECULA: Juvenile suspect bitten by K-9 after man with gun report leads to pursuit, wreck

TEMECULA — Reports of a person armed with a gun at a Temecula shopping center led to a dangerous pursuit last night that ended when the fleeing SUV carrying six people overturned. After the SUV rolled, three of the occupants fled on foot, resulting in one of the alleged suspects being bitten by a Sheriff’s K-9.

The incident began about 8:30 p.m., after deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Temecula Police Station were dispatched to the Petsmart shopping center near the intersection of Temecula and Meadows Parkways after receiving reports that at least one person in a group was possibly armed with a gun. 911 callers provided a description of the group as well as a white Chevrolet Suburban they were seen getting into.

Based on the circumstances, multiple deputies – including a K-9 handler and Sheriff’s helicopter – responded to the area. When a deputy spotted a white Suburban that matched the description provided by 911 callers and attempted to contact the six people inside it, the vehicle immediately fled the scene. When the driver refused to yield to officials’ lights and sirens, deputies gave chase and initiated a vehicle pursuit.

The chase headed northbound up Meadows Parkway through Temecula’s Paseo Del Sol neighborhood. The high-speed pursuit continued towards Campanula Way and De Portola Road but as the fleeing driver tried to make a sharp turn while traveling too fast the Suburban overturned.

After the Suburban overturned, three of the occupants fled from the vehicle, with deputies and the Sheriff’s K-9 in hot pursuit. The other three occupants remained inside the overturned SUV. Deputies detained the three and requested medical personnel to the scene to evaluate and treat their injuries, which were described as minor.

With the Sheriff’s Aviation Unit circling overhead in “Star-9” for over an hour while deputies on the ground searched for the three who fled, the search continued through residential yards and towards Abby Reinke Elementary School.

Deputies quickly apprehended two of those who fled; however, the third subject managed to temporarily elude searching officials.

As the search continued, a resident on Sassari Street called 911 to report a person lurking around in their front yard. According to the caller, the subject appeared to be trying to hide from deputies searching the area.

While deputies and the K-9 were responding to Sassari Street, the homeowner attempted to confront the subject – who fled from the area. With the K-9’s assistance, deputies soon located and apprehended the fleeing person.

All six occupants from the SUV were later determined to be juveniles, according to officials.

There were no serious injuries related to the accident, but one of the fleeing subjects was reportedly bitten by the K-9 while being apprehended. Officials have not yet specified if the driver of the SUV was the person who was bitten or described the extent of injuries that alleged suspect sustained.

Two of the minors who were injured in the crash and apprehension were transported to Temecula Valley Hospital emergency room for treatment. One of the two had to be transported for treatment by deputies, due to the subject still being combative and confrontational.

Deputies later booked the driver into Southwest Juvenile Hall and released the other minors to the custody of their parents or responsible adults, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Officials have not yet specified if any weapons related to the initially reported call were located and recovered or what charges the arrested juvenile was potentially facing.

 

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Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor 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, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.