Husband Held After Alleged Car-Ramming Chase of Estranged Wife Ends in Fatal Crash

An El Toro Marine has been arrested on suspicion of murder and assault with a deadly weapon after he argued with his wife, chased her in his car and rammed the vehicle in which she was riding--allegedly causing a fatal accident, Santa Ana police said Monday.

A 21-year-old man in a third vehicle, a small truck, was ejected and died when the truck hit the wife’s car as it was rammed into an intersection by her angry husband, police said.

The accident occurred shortly before 11:45 p.m. Sunday after Gregory Alan Lemos, 22, of Santa Ana had argued with his wife, Sheila Lemos, 19, police said. The couple are in the process of getting a divorce and apparently had argued about child custody, according to police.

The two left their apartment, in the 500 block of N. Tustin Avenue, in separate cars. Sheila Lemos was a passenger in a car driven by Bruce John Dusseau, 22, described by police as a “companion.” Dusseau and Gregory Lemos are both stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro, a spokeswoman for the base said.

Gregory Lemos began chasing his wife, repeatedly ramming Dusseau’s car with his own vehicle, said Santa Ana Police Cpl. R. Blanscet. When the two cars neared the intersection of 17th Street and Tustin Avenue, Lemos rammed Dusseau’s car, propelling it into the intersection, he said.

Dusseau’s car collided with the third vehicle, a small pickup truck containing two people, police said. The passenger, identified as Michael A. Avila, 21, of Santa Ana, was ejected and declared dead at the scene, according to police.

The driver of the third vehicle, Jose Garcia Jr., of Santa Ana, was not injured, nor were Dusseau or Sheila Lemos, police said.

Gregory Lemos was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of Avila. He also was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon because of the alleged use of his car to attack Dusseau, police said.

Lemos was being held in the Orange County Jail, and bail was set at $250,000, Blanscet said.