Homicide suspect killed in officer-involved shooting after pursuit
A homicide suspect is dead and a man is in custody after leading officers on a high-speed chase along I-10 that spanned from Coachella to Arizona Saturday afternoon.
At this time, authorities aren’t releasing the identity of the suspect who was killed, but the suspect taken into custody following the pursuit was identified as 27-year-old Victor Silva from Marin County, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department.
The two suspects were being sought in connection to the murder of 84-year-old Olga Dinelli from Penngrove.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department alerted deputies with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to their location around 2 p.m. Saturday, according to the release.
Deputies said the pursuit began near Dillon Road and I-10 after they spotted their vehicle. The suspects led deputies and officers with the California Highway Patrol on a dangerous chase on eastbound I-10, shooting at passing drivers and police officers.
The chase went beyond Blythe and continued into Arizona where the La Paz County Sheriff’s Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety responded.
Authorities said one of the suspects shot at a Quartsite police officer who was laying down spike strips in the road. The officer wasn’t hurt but the spike strips managed to disable the suspect’s car about one to two miles into Arizona.
The suspects immediately got out of the car as Riverside County sheriff’s deputies arrived to help Arizona law enforcement.
Deputies said one of the suspects had a firearm and was told by a Riverside County deputy to drop the weapon and surrender, when the suspect refused the officer involved shooting occurred.
The suspect was .killed
Silva surrendered to police without incident. He’s being held on charges surrounding his arrest outside of California and will be extradited to Sonoma County in the near future, deputies said in the release.
No officers were hurt.
The Riverside County sheriff deputy’s name isn’t being released. The officer has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard policy in officer-involved shootings.
Detectives with the La Paz County Sheriff’s Department in Arizona are handling the investigation.
Any drivers who may have been a victim of the suspect’s Interstate 10 shootings, or anyone who witnessed the crime, is asked to call deputies with the Thermal Station at 760-863-8990.
According to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department, detectives also identified a third homicide suspect who wasn’t involved in the high-speed chase. Deputies arrested 27-year-old Richmond resident John Bruno Martinez on Saturday.
Martinez was taken into custody in Richmond and was booked into the Sonoma County Jail for murder, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of an assault weapon and receiving stolen property, deputies said in the release. He’s being held without bail and is scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday, March 3 in Sonoma County Superior Court.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department is actively investigating the homicide and deputies said no further information will be released at this time.
News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 will keep you updated as more information regarding the homicide and officer-involved shooting are made available.
