Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - Police arrested a man September 8 accused of firing upon motorists along the 210 freeway as he headed westbound into Irwindale where he caused more chaos.

Police responded to the 600 block of Live Oak Avenue around 6:37 a.m. to a call of an armed man holding an ambulance driver and his coworker at gunpoint. the driver fled, but officers found the suspect in a red 2015 Peterbilt semi at Live Oak Avenue and Myrtle Avenue and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

The suspect committed several dangerous violations of the California Vehicle Code during a slow speed chase. He briefly escaped on foot after stopping at Peck Road and Wayland Way in Monrovia, but he was taken into custody.

“The officers were forced to physically detain the suspect, during which an electro-muscular disruption technology (EMDT) device was successfully deployed. He was then arrested without further incident,” according to the Irwindale Police Department in a written statement.

Officers recovered a loaded handgun from the suspect, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Investigators learned the suspect, identified as 37-year-old Jonathan Gomez from El Paso, Texas, brandished the handgun and fired it at at least two motorists.

“In one instance, the suspect fired upon a disabled motorist, forcing him to run across the freeway and in another instance, the suspect fired into an occupied vehicle, striking the vehicle with gunfire. Luckily no one was injured in any of these incidents,” according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Gomez was medically cleared and eventually jailed. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail. He potentially faces charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, resisting arrest, evading arrest, driving under the influence of drugs and a number of weapons violations, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to call Irwindale Police Detective Diego Cornejo at 626-430-2290 or at [email protected]. Information can be provided anonymously by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoopers.org.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - A short-lived pursuit ended with a U-Haul truck crashing into a drainage ditch July 24.

The driver was missing after officers found the U-Haul truck submerged near Miguel Miranda and Buena Vista Street in Irwindale. Monrovia officers did not end up arresting anyone, according to Sgt. Chad Harvey of the Monrovia Police Department.

The driver decided to flee a traffic stop attempt after committing a traffic violation around 3 a.m. The driver was initially sought after suspiciously driving around Monrovia neighborhoods, Harvey told SGV CityWatch.

Recent burglaries and thefts occurred in the area the U-Haul was seen in, adding to the officer’s suspicion.

“A lot of the times people will rent the U-Hauls and then steal stuff and continue filling up the U-Haul with the stolen property,” Harvey told SGV CityWatch.

After developing probable cause, the officer attempted a traffic stop, but the driver took off, Harvey told SGV CityWatch.

Officers discovered items in the cab of the U-Haul truck that indicated the driver is a woman, Harvey told SGV CityWatch.

“Once they got down safely to the vehicle, they couldn’t find the driver inside, no signs of injury, or anything,” Harvey told SGV CityWatch.

Harvey was unsure if anything suspicious or stolen was found in the U-Haul.