Deputies killed a suspected kidnapper after authorities said he fired into a car trunk holding the wounded victim.
CHINO HILLS, Calif. — A kidnapping victim and a suspected gunman were killed after a brief pursuit ended on a residential street, where authorities said the driver opened a car trunk and shot the captive before deputies opened fire.
The violence began at about 10:14 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, when San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies were sent to the 2100 block of Monteverde Drive. A caller had reported hearing gunshots and someone screaming, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Investigators later determined that a man had been shot and forced into the trunk of a vehicle at that location.
Deputies responding to the neighborhood spotted a Nissan traveling at a high speed and tried to stop it. Authorities said the deputies did not yet know that a kidnapping had occurred or that a wounded man was inside the vehicle. The driver did not stop, beginning a short pursuit through the Chino Hills neighborhood.
The chase covered about a mile and ended in the 2400 block of Wandering Ridge Drive, near Chino Avenue. Deputies ordered the driver and passenger to leave the vehicle. The passenger complied, raised his hands and was taken into custody without being injured, officials said.
The driver initially did not follow the deputies’ commands. He later stepped out of the car, walked toward its open trunk and fired a gun into it, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Deputies then opened fire and struck the driver. Officials have not said how many deputies fired or how many shots were discharged.
Deputies approached the vehicle and found an adult man with gunshot wounds inside the trunk. They provided emergency aid to both the driver and the captive, but the two men died at the scene. Authorities said the victim had also been shot before he was placed in the trunk, though his condition during the pursuit was not immediately known.
The driver and passenger were both described by local authorities as 67 years old. The victim was reported to be in his 60s. Officials had not publicly released the names of the two men who died as investigators worked to confirm their identities and notify their families.
No deputies were injured. Authorities also said there were no outstanding suspects and no continuing threat to the public. A law enforcement presence remained in the neighborhood as investigators examined the two scenes, collected evidence and reviewed surveillance recordings that captured parts of the confrontation.
The department’s Specialized Investigations Division Homicide Detail is leading the inquiry. Investigators have not announced a motive or explained whether the driver, passenger and victim knew one another. The passenger’s legal status and possible role in the kidnapping also had not been detailed publicly.
The investigation remains active, including reviews of the original shooting, the kidnapping, the pursuit and the deputies’ use of deadly force. Authorities said more information would be released when it could be confirmed.
Author note: Last updated July 31, 2026.