Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies lost pursuit of a reckless driver Monday evening who may be connected to a vehicle-to-vehicle shooting that occurred in Newhall Friday night, according to law enforcement officials.
At approximately 5:48 p.m., deputies identified a white Honda Pilot on Soledad Canyon Road and Whites Canyon Road in Canyon Country that was reported as a stolen vehicle. Deputies tried to conduct a traffic stop when the driver sped away, according to emergency dispatch traffic radio.
Deputies identified the driver as a possible 18-year-old Hispanic man. The suspect was on Via Princessa westbound and took Rainbow Glen Drive northbound onto Soledad Canyon Road. Radio traffic indicated the suspect had struck numerous vehicles as he fled from deputies.
At approximately 5:51 p.m., the suspect was driving on Soledad Canyon Road and nearing Camp Plenty.
During this time, deputies believed the vehicle was connected to the Friday night incident. Gunshots were fired from one vehicle to another in Newhall at a parking lot in the 21300 block of Alder Drive.
Reports indicated the suspect’s vehicle to be a white Honda Pilot with tinted windows, as seen in security camera footage circulating online.
Deputies were in pursuit of a vehicle matching that description.
The suspect continued eastbound on Soledad Canyon Road and had possibly caused a collision between a deputies’ vehicle and a civilian, according to traffic radio.
Supervising Fire Dispatcher Bernard Peters, of the L.A. County Fire Department, said deputies called for their assistance at Soledad Canyon Road and Whites Canyon Road for a traffic collision at 5:55 p.m. Peters was unable to confirm if it was a deputy-involved collision.
There was also a report of a pedestrian, who was struck by the suspect in a parking lot in the same location. Both these incidents are still being investigated by emergency responders, but they are connected to the pursuit of the suspect.
Sheriff’s Air 29 was called for surveillance and to assist with the search for the vehicle. There were reports the suspect was involved in a collision, but continued driving.
According to radio traffic, the suspect left the Honda Pilot at Sam’s Club and jumped into a black Jetta. Deputies lost the suspect and began to receive conflicting information on whether the suspect jumped into a black Jetta or a black Volkswagen Golf.
As of 6:06 p.m., deputies had lost the suspect, but were able to collect the white Honda Pilot.
The suspect remains outstanding as of Monday evening, and deputies continue to investigate the incident.
