Police in San Bernardino County are searching for a suspect in connection with the death of one person and the kidnapping of another, officials confirmed to KTLA.
The Oct. 7 violence, according to a news release from the Montclair Police Department, occurred just after 12:30 a.m. in the 9700 block of Benson Street, near a school in the area.
Police said the incident began with a verbal altercation between three passengers in one vehicle and an unknown suspect in another vehicle, which developed into a chase when the three victims attempted to leave the area.
The suspect, according to investigators, reportedly fired shots into the victim’s car during the pursuit.
Near the intersection of North Benson Street and San Bernardino Road, the suspect reportedly rammed the victim’s vehicle, causing it to crash into a tree. When two of the victims tried to escape from the wrecked car, the suspect kidnapped one of them, a female, although she later managed to escape while in the city of Ontario.
Officials added that she was transferred to a local hospital for treatment. “The whereabouts of the second resident are unknown.”
When officers arrived at the scene, a third victim was found unresponsive. They were taken to a nearby hospital where they were pronounced dead.
Aerial footage of the scene captured by Sky5 showed yellow crime scene tape encircling an area that appeared to be on the Buena Vista Arts-Integrated Magnet School campus, as well as an off-campus area on the sidewalk where the victims’ vehicle appeared to have crashed into the tree. It also appears that part of the school fence was either felled or run over during the incident.
“This appears to be not a random incident, and all parties involved are connected,” officials said.
Investigators have not released a description of the suspect, who remains at large, nor have they identified any of the three victims, although the case is still ongoing.
Anyone with information about this investigation is urged to contact the Montclair Police Department at 909-621-4771. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call the WeTip hotline at 800-78-CRIME or leave tips online at www.wetip.com.