Authorities are trying to track down a man who managed to flee after being fired upon by deputies for allegedly trying to hit one of them with a truck Tuesday in Wildomar.
Joe Sanchez, 35, of Lake Elsinore, used his white dually pickup in an attempted assault on a deputy around 10:30 a.m. in the 33700 block of Orange Street, Riverside County sheriff’s officials said in a news release.
The attack prompted deputies to open fire, but it’s unclear whether Sanchez was struck. The deputy he targeted was unhurt, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Sanchez promptly fled the scene in his truck, which investigators describe as a single-cab Ford from the late ’90s or early 2000s.
The suspect has indicated “he will be shot by a cop before going back to prison,” according to the sheriff’s news release. It’s unclear what he was previously convicted of.
The deputy involved has been placed on administrative leave in accordance with department policy.
Anyone with information on Sanchez’s whereabouts can contact Investigator Dickey at 951-955-0896.