EL CENTRO – The El Centro Police Department announced on Tuesday that the suspect killed at the scene of a law enforcement shootout was a parolee with a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest.
An El Centro Police Department press release revealed that Mark Anthony Ayala, 36, of El Centro had been involved in a prior altercation the night before his death. On the night of January 29, a citizen reported a man striking a woman twice in the parking lot of a motel at 670 Adams Ave. Officers were dispatched to the scene to investigate the battery in progress.
Upon arriving, officers witness the man in question fleeing the scene on a bicycle. When policed pursued the suspect, he reportedly brandished a fire arm, threatening the officers. At this time the suspect escaped, but was identified as Ayala.
On January 30, Ayala, who was reported to be a parolee with a misdemeanor warrant out for his arrest, again came in contact with the authorities. This time, a shootout ensued when the Imperial County Narcotics Task Force approached him in the 500 block of Woodward Avenue in El Centro. According to the press release, a total of five law enforcement officers from the U.S. Border patrol, Drug Enforcement Agency, and Imperial County District Attorney’s Office were involved in the shootout with multiple officers firing their weapons.
According to Imperial County Deputy Coroner Eric Frazier, Ayala died of multiple gunshot wounds at the scene. A cab driver was treated at the scene for injuries not related to the shooting and no officers were injured. At this time, the El Centro Police Department is taking the lead investigating the incident and collaborating with state and federal agencies.
The Police Department continues to encourage the community to contact the Investigations Division at 760-337-4525 with any information related to Thursday’s shooting incident.
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