Fontana Man Kills Himself After Chase

A Fontana man suspected of attempted murder led police on a high-speed chase through three counties early Wednesday before killing himself on the Ventura Freeway just south of Seaward Avenue in Ventura.

Oscar Efrain Valenzuela, 20, described by police as a gang member, was found dead in the stolen 1992 Ford Explorer he was driving at about 3:15 a.m., police said.

California Highway Patrol officers had laid a spike strip across the northbound roadway at the Main Street offramp.

His vehicle’s front tires deflated, Valenzuela continued driving for about half a mile before shooting himself in the head just before the Seaward Avenue offramp, police said.

No other motorists were injured.

Two female teenagers from Colton riding with Valenzuela in the sport utility vehicle were found unharmed and later released to their parents, authorities said.

Fontana police said Valenzuela was wanted for allegedly firing 10 gunshots into the Fontana home of another man on Sept. 17. The victim was not injured.

At about 1:45 a.m. Wednesday, Fontana police tried to pull Valenzuela over near the San Bernardino Freeway. A McDonald’s restaurant employee had called authorities thinking she had seen a man at the drive-through window who matched Valenzuela’s photograph on a wanted flier.

Valenzuela refused to stop, touching off a chase that led police cars and helicopters through San Bernardino County surface streets before moving on to the San Bernardino Freeway and Hollywood Freeway at speeds in excess of 100 mph and through Los Angeles and Ventura counties.