Felon suspected of fleeing, firing at deputies on Morongo Reservation
A convicted felon suspected of leading deputies on a pursuit that began and ended on the Morongo Indian Reservation where he shot at them and ultimately barricaded himself in a home for hours until giving up, was being held without bail today.
The man, a 52-year-old from Banning was arrested and booked into the Smith Correctional Facility Sunday on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer, being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm and committing a crime while on bail.
According to sheriff's Sgt. Richard Carroll, the incident started at approximately 5:17 p.m. when deputies responded to reports of negligent discharge of a firearm around Chino Road and Ramon Road, near the north end of the reservation.
Deputies were called to investigate and encountered the suspect driving away from the location, at which point they attempted to stop him, but he sped away, Carroll said.
The two-mile chase went westbound and ended at a residence in the
12100 block of Morongo Road, just north of Interstate 10, Carroll said.
"The pursuit concluded (and) the suspect shot at the deputies,'' Carroll said
The suspect ran inside the house and locked the doors while armed, Carroll
said, prompting a general alert to be broadcast that deputies had come under fire, resulting in members of several law enforcement agencies converging on the location to assist, along with sheriff's SWAT team members.
Several unsuccessful attempts were made to get the suspect exit the residents. The Hazardous Device Team deployed a robot to make entry into the home. The robot located the adult male, who eventually surrendered to deputies at 10 p.m.
The suspect was arrested and booked into custody for attempted murder on a peace officer. The Sheriff's Department confirmed the suspect is not a tribal member.
As part of our policy, we will not publish the suspect name or photo until they are officially charged by the Riverside County District Attorney's office.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Force Investigation Detail assumed the investigation. This is an on-going investigation and anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Investigator Moody at (760) 393-3500.
Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.
