Armed Carjackers Open Fire On Chino Police Officer; 3 Captured
CHINO (CBSLA) – Three suspects were arrested Thursday after opening fire on a Chino police officer following an armed carjacking in Fontana in which a man was critically wounded and one of the suspects allegedly shot himself in the head.
A little before 3 a.m., the 23-year-old victim was sleeping in his 2012 Ford Edge in the parking lot of Martin Tudor Jurupa Hills Regional Park in the 11900 block of Sierra Avenue when he was awoken by three men who dragged him out of his SUV and shot him in the abdomen and arm, Fontana police spokesman Rich Guerrero told CBSLA.
However, after they took his SUV, he was still able to call 911 and provide a description of the vehicle to dispatchers. He was then rushed by ambulance to a hospital, where he was last reported to be in critical condition, Guerrero said.
Meanwhile, a few hours later, at around 5 a.m., a Chino police officer spotted the stolen SUV and tried to pull it over, prompting a short pursuit, Chino police said. The vehicle eventually came to a stop in the 1400 block of Oaks Avenue, where one of the suspects opened fire on the officer.
The officer did not return fire and was not wounded. Her patrol vehicle was struck by two bullets, Chino police Sgt. Jesus Jacquez told reporters in a briefing.
The suspects then all tried to run away. One suspect was arrested almost immediately and a second was discovered with a gunshot wound believed to be self-inflicted. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
"There is one suspect who attempted to commit suicide," Jacquez said. "He suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head."
A third suspect was at large for several hours. Police established a perimeter and shut down surrounding streets to try and fence him in. He was captured at around 8 a.m., Chino police confirmed.
The names of the suspects and any pending charges were not immediately released. There was also no word on how many weapons were recovered.