Photo: Scene after shooting
BARSTOW – On the morning of April 5th BPD officers came to the Wal-Mart parking lot responding to a call of a “suspicious vehicle.” Once there, they encountered the Mustang and attempted a traffic stop on it.
The driver did not stop, but instead reversed and struck a patrol car, then accelerated and struck a second car. Officers responded with gunfire. Of the four occupants in the vehicle, two were hit by the gunfire.
The driver was hit and pronounced deceased at the scene. A female passenger was also hit and taken to the hospital. The other two male passengers “bailed from the vehicle on foot” but were apprehended.
26-year-old Diante Yarber was identified as the deceased driver. He was wanted for questioning in a stolen vehicle case. He had previously been sentenced to four years of probation for child abuse or endangerment and resisting an officer. He also was sentenced to a year in prison in 2011 for pointing and shooting a shotgun at a group of people.
Finally, in March he was in custody for a felony charge of possessing a firearm “but managed to escape from custody at the time.”
The BPD says, “Anyone with information regarding this investigation, or any witnesses are urged to contact Sheriff’s Homicide Detail, Detective Bruce Southworth at (909)387-3589. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or you may leave information on the We-Tip Hotline at www.wetip.com.” The case number is #DR#60180060 H#2018-022
