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Man shot by deputies after body found in car trunk in Chino Hills
A homeowner nearby was reportedly ambushed by two armed suspects and that led to a pursuit in the Chino Hills neighborhood where a body was found in a car trunk.
CHINO HILLS, Calif. - A body was found inside the trunk of a car following a pursuit and shooting involving deputies in Chino Hills Wednesday night.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department homicide investigators are currently working to piece together the sequence of events across two crime scenes located about a mile and a half apart.
What we know:
The investigation began just after 10 p.m. Wednesday when deputies received reports of shots fired and someone screaming for help in the 2100 block of Monteverde Drive in Chino Hills.
According to San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Gloria Orejel, the victim was shot at the Monteverde Drive location and kidnapped by the suspects, who put the victim inside the trunk of the suspect's gray Nissan Altima.
The suspects then took off, leading deputies on a pursuit that ended near Gemstone Court and Wandering Ridge Drive, about a mile and a half from the original scene, authorities said.
Surveillance video from the end of the pursuit shows the vehicle slowly coming to a stop as deputies surrounded it. One person exited the passenger side with their hands raised and complied with orders.
But moments later, the driver exited from the driver's side, approached the open trunk of the vehicle, and fired a shot directly inside, authorities said. Deputies opened fire, striking the driver.
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Authorities give update after body found in car trunk in Chino Hills
A body was discovered in a car trunk following a Chino Hills police pursuit and deputy-involved shooting spanning two crime scenes.
Despite deputies performing lifesaving measures, both the driver and the victim inside the trunk died at the scene.
The passenger was taken into custody uninjured.
Dig deeper:
Neighbors near the Monteverde Drive scene noted that several home burglaries had previously occurred in the area with security alarms disabled.
Residents also reported that the homeowner’s electricity had been cut off prior to the incident, prompting them to check outside before being attacked. Multiple sources reported the victim was a homeowner in the neighborhood.
What we don't know:
The Sheriff’s Department has not yet released the identities, ages, or gender of the victim, the deceased driver, or the passenger taken into custody.
Authorities have not determined a motive or whether the victim and suspects knew one another.
It's unclear if anyone else was inside the Monteverde Drive home or if the power outage was directly linked to the break-in.
Officials have not confirmed whether the victim died from the initial gunshot wound on Monteverde Drive or the subsequent shot fired into the trunk.
What's next:
Homicide detectives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department are continuing to process both crime scenes, review local surveillance video, and gather witness statements.
The Chino Police Department is assisting in the ongoing investigation.
The Source: This report is based on information provided by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, including an on-scene press briefing conducted by Public Information Officer Gloria Orejell. Additional details were gathered from neighborhood surveillance video, and eyewitness statements from residents near the Monteverde Drive crime scene.