Cops serve search warrant tied to Chino Hills execution of man inside trunk

Investigators are probing deeper into a suspect’s shocking execution of a Chino Hills man right in front of police, who let loose a hail of gunfire in response.

The Irvine Police Department wrote in an Instagram story Thursday that the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department was serving a search warrant in the area.

“The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department just served a warrant on Crossover, near Benchmark, related to a homicide that occurred earlier today in Chino Hills,” they wrote. “Public safety resources will be at the home investigating.”

The warrant was served about 31 miles south of the crime scene.

It’s unclear if the search warrant is connected to the suspect seen shooting the man Wednesday night.

The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office said the suspect shot the victim before they put them into the trunk of the vehicle, and then shot them once again in front of the deputies.

Public information officer Gloria Orejel said the victim exited their home and the two kidnappers shot them before placing them in the trunk of their car at their Montverde Drive home.

A witness who heard gunshots and someone calling for help called the police around 10:15 p.m., and they initiated a traffic stop on the suspect’s vehicle. But the suspect refused to yield and led police on a short chase before coming to a stop at the 2400 block of Wandering Ridge Drive.

At that point, cops were completely unaware of the kidnapping.

Surveillance footage showed cops stop a car in a quiet Chino Hills neighborhood before a passenger got out and walked towards deputies with his hands up.

But the driver acted strangely, remaining in his seat before opening and closing his door before letting the vehicle slightly roll forward.

He then got out with his hands raised before changing his mind and going back into the car to retrieve something.

He was then seen going to the trunk and opening it. Not long after, smoke from deputies’ guns was seen as they opened fire on him, and the driver and his passenger fell to the ground.

Orejel says the passenger complied with commands while the driver did not, shooting the victim again.

“The passenger did comply,” Orejel said. “However, the driver exited the vehicle, approached the trunk of the suspect vehicle and fired a shot into a victim that was inside the trunk.”

The driver and victim were pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger was not injured and is in police custody.

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