Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting in Laguna Hills Follows Multi-City Pursuit of Homicide Suspect
CARLSBAD, CA — A multi-agency officer-involved shooting transpired in Laguna Hills in the early hours of Saturday, Sept. 20, following a multi-city pursuit originating from a fatal shooting in Carlsbad.
The sequence of events began on Friday, Sept. 19, at approximately 9:53 p.m., when the Carlsbad Police Department responded to reports of shots fired in the 2300 block of Rising Glen Way. Officers located a female victim with gunshot wounds, who was pronounced deceased. Authorities determined the victim’s vehicle had been stolen from the location by a male suspect. The nature of the relationship between the victim and the suspect remains undetermined.
Pursuit and Officer-Involved Shooting
At 12:18 a.m., the Laguna Beach Police Department was alerted to the stolen vehicle entering their jurisdiction via a license plate reader at El Toro Road and Laguna Canyon Road. Shortly thereafter, at 12:55 a.m., officers from the Newport Beach Police Department located the vehicle near Newport Coast and Pacific Coast Highway and attempted a traffic stop. The suspect failed to yield, initiating a pursuit that was later joined by an Irvine Police K-9 unit.
The pursuit continued onto Interstate 5 Southbound, where the suspect exited at El Toro Road. After traveling through a business complex, the vehicle drove northbound on El Toro Road from Regional Center. The suspect then stopped his vehicle in the lanes of traffic, south of Avenida De La Carlota, exited, and immediately began discharging a firearm at approaching police vehicles. Multiple officers returned fire.
The suspect moved east toward the In-N-Out restaurant located at 24001 Avenida de La Carlota, reportedly continuing to fire at officers. Several police vehicles were struck by bullets. After being struck by gunfire, the suspect fell in the restaurant’s parking lot and reportedly continued to fire.
Once the gunfire ceased, officers approached the adult male suspect and provided medical assistance. He was transported to Mission Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The identity of the suspect is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. No officers sustained injuries during the incident.
Ongoing Investigations
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Unit is investigating the attempted murder of the police officers. Concurrently, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office is conducting an independent investigation into the officer-involved shooting. This overall investigation is ongoing.
Authorities are seeking information from anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant photos or videos, asking them to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at 714-647-7000. Anonymous information can also be provided through Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS. The Irvine Police Department and Newport Beach Police Department were involved in the events.
