Kidnapper Kills Victim in Trunk in Front of Police

A terrifying kidnapping in Chino Hills ended in horror Wednesday night when a gunman allegedly executed his victim in front of sheriff’s deputies moments before deputies opened fire and killed him, officials said.

The deadly chain of events began around 10:14 p.m. on July 29, when deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department were called to the 2100 block of Monteverde Drive after someone reported hearing gunshots and a person screaming for help.

What deputies did not yet know, according to authorities, was that a man had allegedly already been shot at the home, kidnapped and shoved into the trunk of a car.

As deputies rushed toward the area, they spotted a vehicle speeding away and tried to pull it over. The driver refused to stop, triggering a short pursuit through the quiet Chino Hills neighborhood.

The chase ended on Wandering Ridge Drive, where deputies surrounded the vehicle and ordered the people inside to get out.

A passenger complied and was taken into custody without injury. But the driver, officials said, refused commands.

Then came the horrifying moment.

According to the sheriff’s department, the driver got out of the vehicle, moved toward the open trunk and fired into it, striking the kidnapping victim inside.

Deputies then opened fire, hitting the suspect.

When officers reached the trunk, they found an adult man suffering from a gunshot wound. Deputies attempted lifesaving measures on both the victim and the suspect, but both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators later determined that the victim had been shot and kidnapped from the Monteverde Drive address before the pursuit began.

San Bernardino County sheriff’s spokeswoman Gloria Orejel described the case as deeply disturbing, saying there was “a victim inside there” who had been kidnapped from the earlier address.

No deputies were injured in the shooting.

Authorities have not released the names of the victim, the suspect or the passenger who was detained. It remains unclear what sparked the violence, whether the suspects knew the victim or what role the passenger may have played.

The investigation remains ongoing, and officials said additional information was expected to be released Friday.