High-speed pursuit from San Diego ends in standoff near LAX; person in custody
In a high-speed car chase Saturday night, police chased a vehicle with an armed male fugitive in San Diego. The chase led the suspect through the San Diego neighborhoods of El Cajon and Wildomar before the car lost control and crashed into a parked vehicle in a residential garage, causing serious injuries.
The fugitive, identified by the CHP as Kevin P. O’Toole, 44, of La Mesa, died at the scene.
CHP officers on the pursuit scene arrested one of three people involved – San Diego resident Michael R. Jones, 21, of La Mesa. An affidavit shows that Jones held two handguns during the chase.
A San Diego police spokesperson said that after a foot chase, Jones was arrested around 4:45 p.m. near the intersection of South Park and Broadway streets when CHP attempted to make an arrest. Jones was booked for investigation of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, and kidnapping.
According to the FBI, the pursuit occurred after police attempted to stop Jones’ SUV after he failed to stop at a red light in the 5000 block of Broadway. Jones then drove toward Officer Jeff Farras and “made a quick U-turn back onto Broadway, striking the police cruiser twice and continuing traveling north on Broadway for approximately one mile.”
Two additional police cruisers and two law enforcement vehicles were at the scene. The pursuit was reported on social media, leading to many calls for help for the CHP, the San Diego police chief and members of the media.
The chase lasted between seven and 10 minutes, according to multiple accounts. The FBI reports that during the pursuit, Jones “yelled at CHP Officers Farras and Tipton, who had exited their police cruiser in response to Jones’ U-turn.”
At the scene, Jones told a San Diego police officer that he was in the middle of shooting a movie with his friends. The officer took Jones into custody after the three exchanged gunfire at close range. Jones was transported to the hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the arrest.
The CHP said that Jones was arrested and is in the hospital. The department also confirmed that Jones is a San Diego resident.
After Jones was arrested, he was booked on suspicion of attempted murder,