A man stole a 2023 Toyota Camry from a motorist at gunpoint Tuesday and led law enforcement on a chase from Murrieta to San Diego County, where he was forcibly arrested on the Interstate 15 and then shot himself, authorities said.
The car was recovered around midnight in Hemet, with the suspect arriving in Murrieta shortly before 1 a.m., the CHP said.
The identity of the suspect has not been released.
A Murrieta Police patrol unit had spotted the Camry and pursued it. The driver drove south on I-15, CHP Officer Mike Lassig said.
CHP officers gave chase as the driver crossed the Temecula Valley and entered San Diego County.
The chase continued toward Vista, Lassig said, and the CHP deployed a spike strip crossing the southbound highway lanes at Gopher Canyon Road.
The sedan rolled onto the track, deflating both of its front tires. However, the driver continued south for another 15 miles until reaching Deer Springs Road, just north of Escondido, where “the Camry drifted to the left and entered the median,” said Lassig.
“The Toyota stuck a center divider and veered right crossing all lanes of southbound traffic,” the CHP spokesperson said. “The Toyota entered the shoulder area and struck the concrete K rail in the right shoulder area before stopping southbound.”
Lassig said the driver killed himself as officers from the CHP and other agencies surrounded the car.
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