Cop Killer At Large in Southern CA's High Desert

August 2, 2003 | self

[lainie]

There is a major convergence of police in Llano/Pearblossom/Lake LA area of the Antelope Valley this afternoon. An ordinary rush of code-3 wouldn't be thread worthy, but this one is big.

Suspect still at large but his vehicle has been located. An officer is confirmed to have been killed. At one point, I heard officers reporting that the suspect's home appears to be booby-trapped with "pipe bombs." Armored bomb squad unit has been called.

For the last hour, this incredible scene has been unfolding in the high desert. The scanner is crazy, I can barely keep up. I've never heard anything like it. L-TAC, A-TAC, SPEC-U, three helicopters, squad cars galore.. four just raced by from Santa Clarita (I heard them giving those officers directions about 20 minutes ago).

[TheSpottedOwl]

Thanks for keeping us updated. I lived in Victorville for over 13 years. Mounted posse sounds like a good plan. That and dogs...

[Brad’s Gramma]

Bumping the thread.

[BurbankKarl]

sounds like they are still working this incident....they are delivering food and water to deputies on the perimeter.

media staging at 180th and Palmdale Blvd.

[stumpy]

Predators are made over at Lake Mirage, not too far from the L.A. / S.B. Co line.

[lainie]

Near El Mirage, the offroad park?

[lainie]

I'm not fully up to speed yet but I managed to glean some updates.

They've found some evidence "strewn all over the place" near where the Dart was found yesterday..

The perp used to own a blue Ford Ranger, and one has been detained, no further information..

(probably nothin')

Sounds a bit like they're creeping eastward now.

[lainie]

That's what I heard. Have there been press conferences yet?

[Eaker]

Any more news?

[lainie]

They've found more evidence but I haven't managed to figure out what.

Is anyone else listening? Is Air 5 part of this search?

[lainie]

They're finished searching crime scenes 1 & 2, crime scene 3 still ongoing. The fresh evidence found earlier was found at 3.

1: deputy shooting
2: Dodge located
3: gun stolen last night?

[TERMINATTOR]

The first two should be "ALLEGED crime scenes" since we don't know if the shooting was justified or not.

[RGSpincich]

The Friends of Mumia had to show up eventually.

[lainie]

Well, one way or another, there was a homicide.

I do object to our local paper's calling it a "murder" last night, before they even figured out that LEO's have a suspect name and description.

Although, in all practicality, it's pretty difficult to imagine a situation where this guy was justified in killing a deputy checking out a trespassing call.

[lainie]

They've just announced the finding of "some old paint cans. Can we get a chopper over here to take overhead shots before the sun goes down?" Cops getting punchy, or evidence that means something? Time will tell.

Today, I drove home around 2 p.m. from Lancaster. On the way, we passed the sheriff's dept. Suburban on a flatbed being towed back to town. With escort. (no I'm not kidding)

[BurbankKarl]

that was probably the resident deputy's police Tahoe being tested for evidence....they were giving police escorts to the food vendors too...guess there are a lot of checkpoints to get through, etc.

was hearing some Pico Rivera deputies earlier getting lost out there....which is easy to do.

[TERMINATTOR]

I don't even know yo Mumia. Is she a JBT too?

[lainie]

Hm. You're probably right. Yesterday I did hear the call, during the first hour or two of flurry and commotion, that their Suburban was "dead in the water" on its way to the location. Although if Deputy Sorensen had a Tahoe, that would make perfect sense. All this time I was under the impression that he drove a cruiser. Now that I think about it, I have no idea.

[RGSpincich]

Is she a JBT too?

His footwear is unknown to me but he is a thug. Who is the other person that you calling a JBT?

[BenLurkin]

?

[okimhere]

Thanks for putting this thread up. I'm near Victorville. Did you see the press conference yesterday with the Sheriff's rep? Paraphrasing here:

Sheriff: The suspect is considered armed and dangerous.
Female news "reporter": Why is that????
Sheriff: (looking stunned, unbelieving and trying to control himself) Because we have reason to believe he just shot and killed a deputy!

What unthinking morons some press people are!