Suspect at Large After Firing on San Jacinto Police Officer

Police are searching for a man who fired multiple rounds from an assault rifle at a San Jacinto Police Department officer on Saturday, according to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Around 9:15 p.m., an officer was alerted by a citizen of a suspect who brandished a firearm at him. The citizen pointed to a vehicle driving by and the officer attempted a vehicle stop of the suspect’s vehicle. When the vehicle did not stop ,another officer radioed that the vehicle matched the same description of an earlier carjacking vehicle.

The incident began in the 1200 block of De Anza Drive in San Jacinto. As the officer began to pursue the vehicle, the suspect fired multiple rounds from a high-powered assault rifle toward the officer’s patrol car. Several rounds pierced the patrol car, causing it to become immobilized. The suspect drove away and collided into a house two blocks away on Savory Road.

The suspect ran away from the scene on foot and was able to escape the officers. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male in his 20’s. A weapon similar to the one used in the assault was found in the rear yard of a residence near the collision of the suspect's vehicle.

The officer involved in the incident did not receive any direct injuries from the high-powered rounds hitting his patrol vehicle; however, he was taken to a nearby hospital for precautionary reasons.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call Investigator Wortman at the Hemet Sheriff’s Station at 951-791-3400.