Suspect Crashes, Dies in Police Chase
A 39-year-old man suspected of shooting up a parked vehicle died Friday after crashing his car while being chased by an El Cajon police officer.
Robert D. Johns died from his injuries shortly after he allegedly shot at a parked car on Naranca Avenue in El Cajon, police said. An officer responding to reports of shots being fired spotted Johns’ white pickup truck with a camper shell traveling west on Naranca Avenue.
Sgt. Gregory Stockes made a U-turn to follow the pickup, police said, when Johns accelerated, lost control and rear-ended a parked pickup truck.
Johns’ vehicle then hit a fence and then another parked car, police said. Johns was ejected, police said, ending up on the top of the car he had hit, which had begun to smoke.
Johns was found semiconscious with severe head injuries and a loaded shotgun across his lap, police said.
Police took the shotgun, and Johns was flown by Life Flight to Sharp Hospital, where he later died.
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