SBSO Sgt. fatally shot in Yucca Valley, gunman later dies in shootout with deputies
MORONGO BASIN, Calif. — Authorities say a San Bernardino County sheriff’s Sergeant was fatally shot at the end of a high-speed chase involving a motorcyclist in the Morongo Basin area of Yucca Valley on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31. The alleged shooter was later located and fatally shot during a gun battle with deputies.
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner John McMahon has since identified Sergeant Dominic Vaca, 43, as being killed in yesterday’s deadly encounter. He was a 17-year veteran of the sheriff’s department, according to McMahon.
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Yesterday’s incident began around 12:30 p.m. when deputies assigned to the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Station were conducting off-highway vehicle enforcement in the Morongo Basin area, according to McMahon.
While conducting the traffic enforcement operation, deputies spotted a man operating a street-legal motorcycle with no license plate and attempted to conduct a traffic stop.
Officials say San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Sergeant Dominic Vaca, 43, was killed at the end of a vehicle pursuit. The alleged gunman was later fatally shot in a gun battle with other deputies. Vaca was a 17-year employee of the Sheriff’s Department, “and will be missed by many”, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner John McMahon. SBSO photo
The driver of the motorcycle refused to yield to deputies’ lights and sirens and fled the scene, at which time a pursuit was initiated.
As the chase continued, the fleeing man ditched his motorcycle and fled on foot into the desert.
Vaca was shot while searching for the suspect, according to McMahon; who said the Sgt. was airlifted to an area trauma center where, despite life-saving efforts, he later succumbed to his injuries and passed away.
After shooting Vaca the suspect continued to flee on foot. He was eventually located by responding deputies.
“The suspect shot at the responding deputies and the deputies returned fire,” explained McMahon; who said the suspect was struck by the deputies’ gunfire and pronounced deceased at the scene. The handgun believed used in the Sergeant’s fatal shooting was located nearby.
Citing the early and ongoing nature of the Sheriff’s investigation, officials declined to release the gunman’s name at this time.
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In a social media release (which can be viewed below), McMahon later said, “It is my sad duty to report that despite the heroic life-saving measures by the staff at the hospital … Sergeant Dominic Vaca … has succumbed to his injuries.”
“It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we report his passing and our prayers are with him and his family as we all mourn this difficult time,” the Sheriff continued.
Deputies and other officials take part in a solemn processional that carried Sergeant Vaca’s body to the morgue. As taps played in the background, they were later seen saluting the Sgt., as he was taken into the building. Nathan Wilking/RVC News photos
Countless deputies and other officials later joined a solemn processional that brought the Sgt.’s body to the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office. Numerous deputies were later seen standing at attention and saluting as the Sgt.’s body was taken into the building.
“The gunshot wound he sustained earlier today was too severe for him to overcome,” McMahon explained in the video. “Our prayers are with him and his family as we all mourn this difficult time.”
“He served the community with pride and professionalism and will be missed by many,” said McMahon.
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Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
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. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s 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.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.