California slaying suspect killed in high desert shootout
VICTORVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California man suspected of killing his estranged wife and abducting their 15-year-old daughter died in a shootout Tuesday with law enforcement on a highway in the high desert, police said.
The suspect, 45-year-old Anthony John Graziano, was pronounced dead at the scene in Hesperia, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. His female passenger was also struck by gunfire but authorities would not immediately say whether she was the missing teen.
Graziano allegedly killed Tracy Martinez, 45, on Monday in a domestic violence incident in the city of Fontana, according to Fontana police Sgt. Chris Surgent. Family members told investigators that the couple had been going through a divorce.
Investigators had issued an Amber Alert after Graziano fled with their daughter, Savannah Graziano, in a white 2017 Nissan Frontier with California plates. Graziano was described as armed and dangerous.
On Tuesday, a 911 caller reported seeing the Nissan Frontier in Barstow, according the sheriff’s department. Authorities said a pursuit began and Graziano fired multiple shots out of the vehicle’s rear window.
The Nissan became disabled in Hesperia, authorities said. Deputies returned the suspect’s fire, hitting Graziano and the female passenger. She was taken to a hospital.
Tuesday’s crime scene caused major backups along Interstate 15. An afternoon news conference was scheduled.
The original killing was discovered early Monday in Fontana, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Hesperia.
Officers responded at around 7:30 a.m. to reports of gunfire, and found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds at a home, police said in a statement. Martinez was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
