3 Arrested After Chaotic Pursuit From SD To RivCo; K-9 Shot

Murrieta CA

06 September, 2021

2:37 PM

Description

MURRIETA, CA — Three armed suspects were eventually arrested after robbing a convenience store in San Diego, shooting a sheriff's K-9 and leading authorities on a high-speed chase that culminated in Riverside County, California Highway Patrol officials said in a statement. Just before midnight, a sheriff's deputy witnessed three men, at least one of which was armed, running from a 7-11 and jumping into a gray BMW sedan. The suspects fled from San Diego Sheriff's deputies, traversing several San Diego freeways, officials said. As they entered the Mira Mesa area on Interstate 15, the CHP took over the pursuit as the suspects continued to evade officers, driving up to 130 miles per hour on different stretches of the freeway. The BMW exited and reentered the freeway twice and rammed a CHP patrol car on Winchester Road in Temecula. After entering Murrieta, a passenger fired multiple rounds from a pistol, peppering a CHP vehicle with bullets but no officers were struck or injured. The BMW then pulled up to a gas station on Los Alamos Road, where all suspects men ditched the vehicle and unsuccessfully attempted to carjack two bystanders at the gas station. A San Diego County Sheriff's Department dog was deployed and pounced on one of the suspects. As the dog was attacking, the suspect shot the police dog before continuing to flee on foot. CHP officers were able to apprehend two of the suspects but the third remained at large for just over an hour, police said. Multiple agencies from San Diego and Riverside counties conducted a mass search by ground and air for the fleeing suspect for more than an hour. He was eventually found by a Murrieta Police Department canine. The suspect suffered bite wounds before he was arrested. The dog that was shot was rushed to a nearby veterinary clinic for treatment and was expected to make a full recovery. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department will continue to investigate the initial armed robbery, while the CHP is handling the investigation of all crimes committed during the chaotic pursuit. Suspects face multiple felony charges, including armed robbery, attempted murder of police officers, attempted carjacking and reckless evasion, officials said. They were booked into the Riverside County Sheriff's Department Cois Byrd Detention Center, police said.