Suspect in Carlsbad carjacking and homicide killed in Orange County after pursuit

A suspect wanted for shooting a woman to death in Carlsbad during a carjacking got into a shootout with pursuing officers near Laguna Hills in Orange County and was fatally wounded Saturday morning, authorities said.

The chain of events started at 9:53 p.m. Friday when Carlsbad police officers responded to a report of gunfire in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Rising Glen Way near Carlsbad Village Drive, according to a Carlsbad Police Department statement.

The arriving officers found a woman suffering from gunshot wounds who was unresponsive. She died at the scene, authorities said.

The woman’s vehicle was taken during the shooting, police said.

“The relationship between the victim and suspect is not known,” according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

At 12:18 a.m. Saturday, the Laguna Beach Police Department received a notification from a license plate reader at El Toro Road and Laguna Canyon Road that the vehicle was entering the city.

Newport Beach police then spotted the vehicle near Newport Coast and Pacific Coast Highway at 12:55 a.m. early Saturday

“The officers attempted to stop the vehicle,” sheriff’s officials said. “The suspect did not stop for officers, and a pursuit began. During the pursuit, an Irvine Police K-9 unit joined to assist.”

The pursuit continued to southbound Interstate 5, where the suspect exited at El Toro Road and traveled through a business complex, before exiting at Regional Center and driving northbound on El Toro Road.

“The suspect stopped his vehicle in the lanes of traffic, just south of Avenida De La Carlota, exited his vehicle and immediately began firing at the approaching police vehicles,” the OCSD said. “Multiple officers returned gunfire.”

The suspect then continued east toward an In-N-Out at 24001 Avenida de La Carolta, continuing to fire at officers, authorities said.

“Multiple police vehicles were struck with bullets,” according to the OCSD. “After being struck by gunfire, (the suspect) fell to the ground in the restaurant’s parking lot and continued to fire at officers.”

Paramedics rushed him to Providence Mission Hospital Mission Viejo, where he later died.

Anyone with any information about the case, or who has photos or videos of the incident, was urged to call the OCSD at 714-647-7000 or contact Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-847-67227 or ocsheriff.gov/occrimestoppers.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office was overseeing the investigation into the shootout, according to Carlsbad police.