Carjacking suspect shot by deputies through car window dies; state DOJ to investigate
A carjacking suspect shot by deputies last week in Pico-Union died Tuesday, authorities said.
The suspect — identified Wednesday as Luis Florez — was wounded the afternoon of July 10, when deputies fired several shots through a car window after a chaotic 20-minute chase.
Initially, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the injured suspect was hospitalized in critical condition.
On Tuesday afternoon, California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced that the suspect had died and that the state Department of Justice would independently review the case. In an email Wednesday, state officials confirmed Florez’s name but did not offer additional details about his death.
Just before 2:30 p.m. on July 10, deputies from the East L.A. station started to pursue a carjacking suspect in a gray Toyota, officials said at the time. During the pursuit, the driver allegedly crashed into the deputies’ cruisers several times.
The San Jóse Police Department said the father of 3-year-old Ellie Lorenzo — who was found dead at a recycling center — is a suspect in her murder. Her mother says she was moving Ellie out of state and the father found out.
The chase ended at Vermont Avenue and Venice Boulevard about 20 minutes after it began. Video from the scene showed the Toyota crashing into several cars and a light pole.
The front tires began smoking as the driver apparently tried to accelerate backward into a cruiser that was boxing the suspect in from behind.
Seconds later, at 2:51 p.m., four deputies opened fire, shooting into the rear window of the Toyota.
Florez was taken to an area hospital. According to the L.A. County medical examiner, he died there early Tuesday.
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