Three of four suspects killed after a high-speed pursuit in San Bernardino County ended in a violent, fiery crash have been identified as teenagers, authorities confirmed to KTLA.
The June 28 chase near Foothill Boulevard and Archibald Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga started around 1:45 a.m. when deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department attempted to stop a suspected DUI driver.
Authorities said a pursuit was initiated when the driver of the black 2018 Hyundai failed to yield and took off at a high rate of speed to avoid deputies.
The Ontario Police Department’s Aviation Unit aided deputies by tracking the suspect vehicle from the air.
Approximately six minutes after the pursuit was initiated, the driver of the Hyundai, who was traveling west on 16th Street in Upland and entered the intersection of Mountain Avenue, collided with a white 2010 Ford Mustang that was not involved in the chase.
“The suspect vehicle then veered off and struck a pole,” a SBSD news release stated. “During the collision, the suspect vehicle separated into three parts and caught fire.”
Footage of the aftermath captured by Sky5 showed the debris field in and around the intersection, with parts of the Hyundai and the Ford strewn across the area.
Four of the Hyundai’s five occupants were killed in the crash.
Three have been identified as 16-year-old Fontana resident Jesus Guillen Jr., 17-year-old Pomona resident Michael Adrian Gomez and 16-year-old Fontana resident Joel Jeremiah Silva.
A 13-year-old boy who was also in the Hyundai was rushed to a nearby hospital and is expected to survive, authorities said.
The two victims in the Ford Mustang, a 35-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman, both from Ontario, were taken to the hospital as a precaution.
“During the investigation, deputies discovered the suspect vehicle was reported stolen out of Fontana and a loaded firearm was found on the person of one of the deceased subjects,” the release noted.
Officials said that there are three parallel investigations into this incident.
Detectives with SBSD’s Rancho Cucamonga Station are investigating the pursuit, while the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office is investigating the exact cause and manner of death for each suspect, as well as positively identify the remaining fourth deceased person. The Upland Police Department is conducting a collision investigation.
Anyone with information about these investigations is urged to contact SBSD’s Rancho Cucamonga Station at 909-477-2800. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the WeTip Hotline at 800-782-7463 or leave tips online at www.wetip.com.