Kidnapper Fatally Shoots Man In His Trunk In Front Of Deputies In The IE: Sheriff

CHINO HILLS, CA — Police killed a kidnapping suspect after he pulled over in the Inland Empire and shot a man in his trunk in front of the deputies, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department announced Thursday.

The victim and kidnapping suspect both died at the scene in Chino Hills, and a second person in the car was taken into custody.

The incident unfolded Wednesday around 10:15 p.m. when deputies responded to a neighborhood in the 2100 block of Monteverde Drive after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting and the sound of screaming. When deputies arrived, they located the suspect's vehicle and attempted to pull over the driver, but the vehicle did not immediately stop, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies pursued the suspect, who were traveling in a Nissan with an Oregon license plate. A mile into the chase, the vehicle came to a stop in the 2400 block of Wandering Ridge Drive, and deputies ordered the driver and a passenger out of the car. The passenger complied and exited the car, but the driver did not at first, authorities said.

Eventually, driver exited the Nissan and walked to the open trunk where he fired a gun into the trunk. Deputies then shot the suspect, who died at the scene, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

That's when deputies found a man's bullet-riddled body in the trunk. Investigators said the man had been shot at least once before the fatal shooting during the traffic stop.

It was unknown if the victim was dead by the time the suspect shot him in the trunk in front of deputies, authorities said.

They believe the victim had been shot and kidnapped at a residence on Monteverde Drive, authorities said.

The passenger was taken into custody. Authorities did not say if the victim and suspect knew each other.

Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victim or suspect.

Anyone with information related to the investigation was asked to call San Bernardino County sheriff's homicide investigators at 909-890-4904.