Corona Police Fatally Shoot Vandalism Suspect Overnight

CORONA, CA — Corona Police officers responding to a possible road-rage and vandalism attack early Tuesday shot and killed the suspect, police say.

The suspect, whose identity was not immediately released, was also involved in a possible road rage confrontation with another driver, allegedly resulting in him crashing into the person's car, injuring the victim, Sgt. Robert Montanez said.

Shortly after midnight, officers confronted the man seen swinging the hefty object at vehicles on McKinley Street and Promenade Avenue, according to Montanez.

Officers responded and located the subject armed with the tire iron, a piece of hardware used in removing lug nuts, according to Montanez.

"The subject refused multiple commands to drop his weapon, and an officer-involved shooting subsequently occurred," he said. "The subject was struck by gunfire, and despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced deceased at the scene."

The driver injured in the alleged road rage crash, also not identified by police, was taken to a regional trauma center for treatment of moderate injuries.

The matter was turned over to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department's Force Investigations Detail to conduct an independent inquiry as to the circumstances and justification for the shooting.

Anyone with information about the case was asked to contact Corona police detectives at 951-817-5767.