Two men involved in an erratic, high speed chase involving a stolen car that led to the death of the suspect driver Tuesday morning, have been identified by authorities.
Long Beach officials said Juan Manuel Avilla, 20, of Paramount was the driver of the stolen vehicle who was fatally shot by police.
His passenger was identified as David Anthony Luera, also a 20-year-old Paramount resident, who was arrested by police in Bellflower when he surrendered following the officer-involved shooting.
Authorities said Luera was booked into Long Beach Jail for being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm and for being in possession of a stolen vehicle. He is being held on $35,000 bail.
The incident began at about 5:55AM on Tuesday in North Long Beach when police were notified of a stolen vehicle in the area. Before police could pull the car over the suspects initiated a pursuit that lasted about 50 minutes and traveled through multiple cities.
At one point a handgun was thrown out the vehicle. Police recovered it near Lakewood Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue in Downey.
The chase eventually ended in a dead-end street in Bellflower when the suspect made a u-turn, then drove toward officers, at which point an officer-involved shooting occurred.
Anyone with information regarding the officer involved shooting is urged to contact Homicide Detectives at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 1 (800) 222-TIPS (8477).
Photo of suspect’s handgun courtesy of LBPD.
PREVIOUSLY: Long Beach Car Chase Leads to Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting, Arrest in Bellflower
4/25/17 at 11:34AM | One man was fatally shot and another arrested following a high-speed chase involving a stolen car that began in North Long Beach this morning, authorities said.
The series of events unfolded at 5:53AM when officers near Paramount and Artesia boulevards received a report, through the Lo-Jack theft prevention system, of a stolen car out of Los Angeles, according to Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) spokeswoman Nancy Pratt.
Before officers could attempt to conduct a traffic stop, the car—a green 2000 Honda Accord—fled the area at a high rate of speed, Pratt said.
Officers then began a pursuit that went over surface streets and then onto the Long Beach (710) Freeway, the Artesia (91) Freeway, the Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway and the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway.
At one point during the chase, a handgun was thrown out of the window, according to authorities who were able to recover the weapon.
The driver eventually entered a dead-end street on Foster Road in Bellflower and was boxed in by police at about 6:40AM. At that point, shots were fired by officers and the passenger got out and surrendered to police who took him into custody.
A short time later, officers pulled the injured driver from the car and began administering CPR on him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was withheld, pending notification of relatives.
The investigation remains ongoing.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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