LOCAL : Police Shoot Irvine Taxi-Theft Suspect After Freeway Chase

A man driving a taxicab stolen in Irvine shot at pursuing police along the crowded San Diego Freeway this morning before he was cornered and shot by officers in Laguna Hills.

The unidentified suspect was shot an unknown number of times by at least one uniformed officer as he hid in a gully near the intersection of Moulton Parkway and Laguna Hills Drive.

The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of his gunshot wounds, Irvine police Lt. Vic Thies said. His condition was unknown.

The man allegedly stole the taxi at a hotel and drove onto the freeway. He was spotted at Irvine Center Drive by police, who began a high-speed pursuit.

As the suspect approached El Toro Road, he began firing a .45-caliber automatic handgun at the officers, blowing out the rear window of the yellow taxi, police said. The suspect continued to fire shots, leaving the freeway at Oso Parkway and driving through several Laguna Hills neighborhoods.

The gunman left the cab when he blew out a tire after driving over a concrete median strip.

The incident began at 9:50 a.m. when the man approached taxi driver Valery Yakubov, 29, of Anaheim, at the Holiday Inn in Irvine, Thies said. He allegedly robbed and beat Yakubov, then drove off in his cab.