VICTORVILLE – Following a shooting ambush of a deputy without injury, authorities tracked the suspect and arrested him for attempted murder.
On Sunday evening, February 2, while conducting a traffic stop, a deputy from the Victorville Police Department noted a suspicious vehicle approaching him at a slow speed. The officer was returning to his vehicle which was parked in the area of Hesperia Road and Green Tree Boulevard in the city of Victorville.
As the deputy approached his vehicle, he noticed that the oncoming silver Chrysler 300 had the driver’s side window rolled halfway down. The deputy then reportedly saw muzzle flashes and heard four gunshots emanating from inside the Chrysler 300.
The deputy chased after the vehicle, discharging his own firearm, but the suspect vehicle escaped, fleeing north on Hesperia Road. Following the incident, detectives arrived at the scene to collect evidence. They scoured the vicinity of the shooting and spoke with witnesses looking for clues.
Detectives were then able to locate a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle at the 13800 block of Apple Creek, mere blocks from the incident. After searching the vehicle, detectives recovered evidence that was consistent with shots being fired from within. Following up with a search warrant for the residence, detectives discovered further evidence thought to be related to the crime. These items included:
• A .45 caliber handgun
• .45 caliber ammunition
• Ruger Mini 14 converted to an assault rifle with a pistol grip and two (2) 30-round high capacity magazines
• Gang paraphernalia
Based on the vehicle description and items obtained, authorities arrested Shawn Munoz, 31, of Ontario for Attempted Murder of a Peace Officer. He was booked at West Valley Detention Center. According to a John McMahon, Sheriff-Coroner of the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department, “The suspect’s gunfire did not hit or injure the deputy but the brazen attempt to take a uniformed deputy’s life proves the violent climate in which law enforcement officers now work.”
Read More:
Victor Valley News: Shots Fired at Victorville officer
