Auto Theft Suspect Surrenders After Officer Fires Shots

An undercover Santa Ana police officer Thursday fired at least two rounds at a man suspected of auto theft who pointed a 9-millimeter, semiautomatic pistol in his direction, police said.

The suspect, identified as Juan Luis Elias, 18, of Santa Ana, was not hit by the gunfire and surrendered after the officer cornered him against a fence, police spokeswoman Maureen Haacker said.

The incident occurred about 11:40 a.m. after the officer followed a “suspicious-looking vehicle” with two occupants, Haacker said.

As the officer checked the license plate and discovered that the white, 1981 Monte Carlo had been reported stolen, the driver pulled to the side of the road at 1700 McFadden Avenue and got out of the car with Elias, the passenger, she said.

“They apparently realized they were being followed,” Haacker said.

Both men ignored the officer’s demands to halt, she said.

The officer chased the men to Raitt Street where Elias allegedly turned to face the pursuing officer and aimed a pistol at him, Haacker said.

When the officer fired, Elias ran down an alley behind West Cubbon Street, she said.

At that point, the driver jumped over a fence and escaped from the officer, who continued to follow Elias, Haacker said. A little farther down the alley, Elias again turned and leveled a gun at the officer, Haacker said.

The officer fired at least one more round, missing Elias, she said. Elias, who never fired his weapon, then jumped a fence to the back yard of a house and put his weapon and a box of ammunition on top of a second wall he was going to scale when the officer cornered him, Haacker said.

Elias was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange with a cut above his left ear, which he apparently suffered while jumping over the first fence, Haacker said.