Police Still Seeking Suspect in Officer Involved Shooting

MORENO VALLEY – Following an attempt at a routine traffic stop, two suspects, later found to be armed, fled officers, crashing their vehicle, the driver then escaping on foot.

On December 29 at 6:32 PM, officers from the Moreno Valley Police Department witnessed a black Hyundai traveling on Sunnymead Boulevard. When the vehicle failed to halt at a stop sign, the officers attempted to conduct a traffic enforcement stop. The driver refused to pull over and the officers continued to follow the vehicle onto eastbound Highway 60, where they observed erratic driving behavior. Believing the driver to be intoxicated, the officers initiated pursuit of the vehicle, which then exited at Moreno Beach, continuing northbound. At that time, the driver lost control of his vehicle, colliding with a fence in the 29000 block of Locust Avenue.

The driver crashed near this intersection and escaped on foot. His passenger was arrested.

Both the driver and the passenger of the vehicle exited the Hyundai and proceeded to flee on foot. At that time, one of the officers chased after the passenger. Upon seeing him reach into his waistband, the officer fired his gun at the suspect. The suspect, Manuel Lomeli, age 20 and resident of Moreno Valley was apprehended and a handgun was found near his person. No one was harmed in the incident, but the officer has been placed on administrative leave per department policy.

The driver of the vehicle escaped the scene. Riverside County Sheriff’s air unit and bloodhound continued the search but the suspect was not found. He is described as a heavy set male adult with a shaved head and facial hair. He was last seen wearing dark-colored clothing and the time of the incident.

Investigators are continuing to look for the second suspect and ask that anyone with information regarding the incident call Investigator Beaza at the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777 or Investigator Seltzer at the Moreno Valley Police Department at 951-486-6700.

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