Motorist Arrested Following Chase Across 3 Counties

A Los Angeles man who bragged about committing a murder in the San Fernando Valley was captured in Leucadia after leading authorities in three counties on a cat-and-mouse car chase on freeways and through residential areas, authorities said.

The pursuit ended after the man abandoned his van, fired a gun at California Highway Patrol officers and unsuccessfully hid in the back of a parked camper in a neighborhood by the freeway, officials said.

Eric Miguel Romero, 24, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer and auto theft, officials said. Police later determined that the original murder account was fake.

The pursuit began about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday after officers were tipped to a possible slaying suspect who was entering a stolen Toyota van near the Alvarado Street on-ramp to Interstate 101, Los Angeles Police Lt. John Duncan said.

According to police, Romero was allegedly in a “public place,” claiming loudly that he had committed a murder. Witnesses contacted officers as Romero left in the van, Duncan said.

The 45-minute chase began near downtown Los Angeles, then led through Orange County into San Diego County. It ended when the driver ran out of gas in the No. 1 lane of Interstate 5 near the Leucadia Boulevard off-ramp.

Romero allegedly drove at speeds up to 90 m.p.h., “in a reckless manner,” exiting and re-entering the freeway several times, San Diego County Sheriff’s Lt. Linda Fulton said. “He was swerving into cars along the way,” Fulton said. “He was apparently trying to cause a wreck, and throw off the pursuit.”

As the van ran out of gas about 12:30 a.m., Romero jumped from the moving vehicle and fired one round at a CHP car, CHP Officer Jerry Bohrer said.

San Diego County Sheriff’s canine units and CHP officers searched for Romero for about three hours. They found him in the 700 block of Clark Avenue in Leucadia, Fulton said. Romero allegedly was holding a .38-caliber pistol when he was discovered in the back of a parked camper, authorities said.

Romero was being held at San Diego County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bail, Bohrer said.