CHP Looking for Cyclist Who Fired 3 Shots at Officer

Authorities were searching Monday for a motorcyclist who fired three gunshots at a California Highway Patrol officer and fled, leading officers on a high-speed chase before eluding them in Riverside County.

The unidentified officer had stopped the man for speeding Sunday afternoon on Ortega Highway and was approaching the motorcycle when three shots were fired at close range, according to CHP Officer R.M. Petrachek.

The shots narrowly missed the officer, who then ducked behind his patrol car and began firing back at the motorcyclist, Petrachek said.

The gunman fled, and the patrolman, assisted by other CHP units that had been called in, chased the motorcyclist at speeds up to 120 m.p.h. for 20 miles along the twisting highway road before he got away just across the Riverside County line, Petrachek said.

Helicopters and canine units aided in the unsuccessful search. He was described as a white male of medium build, wearing a black full-face helmet and a black leather jacket.

A motorist reported seeing a man who matched the description hitchhiking on Interstate 5, about a mile south of Ortega Highway at about 12:30 a.m. Monday, Petrachek said. The motorist said the man had bloodstains on his hands and face. When authorities arrived, the man was gone, Petrachek said.

The CHP is asking anyone with information to call the San Juan Capistrano office at (714) 661-6215.