Full Notification

San Dimas Sheriff's Deputies Catch Fleeing Armed Robbery Suspects - Shots Fired by the Suspects


Monday, August 16, 2010, 6:20 A.M.
Commercial Burglary; Robbery; Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Burro Canyon Shooting Range
22100 East Fork Road, Azusa (Unincorporated)

Suspects:
Trevor Kuk, Male Chinese / 27, resident of Arcadia
Maria Martinez, Female Hispanic / 23, resident of Los Angeles

San Dimas Sheriff’s Station deputies responded on Monday morning to the Burro Canyon Shooting Range regarding a Burglary call. The caller said gunshots had been fired at the location. A description of the two suspects and their escape vehicle was dispatched to the responding sheriff’s deputies.

Deputies learned the suspects entered the location wearing Halloween masks and were armed with an assault weapon. An employee of the business arrived at the location and discovered the suspects. When the employee confronted them, Suspect Kuk produced a weapon and the employee fled the location. Suspect Kuk and Suspect Martinez are alleged to have stolen numerous rifle scopes, knives and pepper spray canisters. No guns were stolen from the location as they were locked up.

The suspects fled in a white truck, southbound from the location, on East Fork Road, Azusa. One of the victims followed the suspects with his own vehicle. As they drove away, one of the suspects fired approximately three rounds at the victim with the assault weapon. None of the rounds struck the victim or his vehicle.

Responding Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies saw the suspects’ vehicle on southbound State Highway 39 and initiated a vehicle pursuit. The pursuit traversed Interstate Highway 210, city streets of Azusa, and southbound Interstate Highway 605. Because of traffic congestion and the suspects' erratic driving, the pursuing deputies lost sight of the suspects’ vehicle in the vicinity of Interstate Highway 605 and State Highway 60.

Local news helicopters never stopped broadcasting the suspects’ location on television. This information enabled deputies in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department helicopter and in sheriff’s radio cars to locate the suspects’ vehicle and re-initiate the pursuit.

The pursuit continued onto northbound Interstate Highway 605, to eastbound Interstate Highway 10. At that time, the left-rear tire of the suspects’ vehicle went flat from an unknown cause and it stopped at the Holt Avenue off-ramp, West Covina.

Both suspects were taken into custody where they stopped their vehicle, and were booked at San Dimas Sheriff’s Station for Commercial Burglary and Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

San Dimas Sheriff’s Station detectives are also investigating several reports that Suspect Kuk shot at a motorist during the pursuit, as well as at news media and Sheriff’s Department helicopters.

“Many sheriff’s deputies and police officers risked their lives to catch these violent, reckless, armed and dangerous suspects,” said Captain Joe Hartshorne, San Dimas Sheriff’s Station. He added, “We appreciate the courage of everyone involved, including the news media helicopter crews who broadcasted the suspects location on television.”

An assault weapon was recovered from the suspects’ vehicle. It is a Masterpiece 9mm, semi-automatic, machine pistol, which was loaded and its magazine had the capacity to fire 40 rounds of ammunition.

San Dimas sheriff’s deputies were assisted by deputies from Temple Sheriff’s Station, Industry Sheriff’s Station, Walnut Sheriff’s Station, in addition to officers from the California Highway Patrol and many neighboring police agencies including the Azusa and El Monte Police Departments.



Sergeant Joseph McDonald
San Dimas Sheriff’s Station
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
270 S. Walnut Av., San Dimas 909-450-2711
www.lasd.org



Leroy D. Baca, Sheriff