A 24-year-old man who led deputies on a high-speed chase with his toddler in the car before ramming a patrol vehicle Thursday night was fatally shot in Muscoy, officials said.
Juan Ayon-Ruiz was seen driving recklessly on the eastbound 210 Freeway near Highland Avenue about 9:30 p.m. and deputies tried to stop the car, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
The driver didn’t stop and instead continued speeding towards Muscoy, authorities said.
After getting off the freeway, the vehicle veered off a roadway and struck a mailbox in the area of Blake and Otto streets.
“As deputies conducted a high-risk traffic stop, the driver reversed his vehicle and rammed the patrol car, at which time a deputy involved shooting occurred,” the Sheriff’s Department said.
While checking on the driver, deputies found his two-year-old child inside the car.
The child, who didn’t appear to be injured, had not been restrained in a safety seat and deputies took him to a local hospital as a precaution, according to the news release.
Ayon-Ruiz was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information was asked to contact Detective Nicholas Clark at 909-387-3589. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call the WeTip hotline at 800-78CRIME.
