POWAY (CNS) - A suspected prowler and carjacker crashed a stolen SUV and died early Thursday after deputies opened fire on him during a pursuit through Poway, authorities reported.
It was not immediately clear if the unidentified man succumbed to gunshot trauma, from injuries he suffered in the crash or both, according to sheriff's officials.
The events that led to the fatal encounter began shortly before 5 a.m., when someone reported seeing a man peering into parked vehicles in a suspicious manner at an auto-repair shop in the 13900 block of Poway Road.
Shortly after patrol personnel arrived at the business to investigate, they radioed that shots had been fired and that a suspect had taken a sheriff's cruiser and was fleeing to the east in it, Lt. Kenneth Nelson said.
Deputies pursued the suspect to an area near the intersection of Poway and Espola roads, where he abandoned the stolen law enforcement vehicle. He then forced the driver of an oncoming black SUV to halt by pointing a handgun at him, ordered him out and began driving to the west on Poway Road, Nelson said.
Moments later, deputies confronted the suspect and fired on him again, and the stolen vehicle veered off the roadway and crashed into a ravine.
The sheriff's personnel found the suspect dead behind the wheel of the damaged SUV with injuries to his upper body. Inside the vehicle were several knives, a hatchet and loose handgun ammunition, Nelson said.
Detectives later found a pistol believed to have been the one the suspect had wielded.
Four deputies fired their guns during the incident, according to Nelson. Whether the suspect discharged his pistol, as well, remained under investigation this afternoon.
The county Medical Examiner's Office will positively identify the suspect, who was believed to be 25 to 35 years old, and determine his cause of death, the lieutenant said.
The Poway Unified School District sent the following statement to Garden Road Elementary School families:
"Law enforcement has asked that no school busses be in the area and no additional students should be brought to campus to limit the amount of people and traffic in the area.
For the students who are currently on campus, they will be fed and supervised by Garden Road staff until their regular pickup. They are safe and in no danger. There will also be counselors on site to address any concerns.
If you would like to pick up your student at any time in the day, the Sheriff has opened a back emergency access road on Sycamore Canyon Road off of Scripps Poway Parkway to limited traffic. Be aware, it is a narrow road and emergency vehicles have priority.
The investigation is still in its early stages so the road closures still remain in effect."