On Friday, May 5 at 2:30 a.m. a Murrieta police officer was near Los Alamos Road and Hancock Avenue on routine patrol.  The officer noticed a black full-size pickup truck with paper plates occupied by two subjects, that matched the description of a vehicle involved in several recent vehicle burglaries.

The officer initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle in the Las Brisas Apartment complex.  As the officer was approaching the vehicle on foot, the driver of the vehicle sped off at a high rate of speed with the vehicle’s headlights off.  The officer initiated a pursuit of the vehicle and the vehicle traveled west on Los Alamos Road towards the I-15 freeway. 

The vehicle continued over the I-15 freeway and the vehicle turned right onto northbound Jefferson Avenue. The vehicle continued on Jefferson Avenue (passing the Murrieta Police station) and turned right onto eastbound Kalmia Street. Additional officers had joined the pursuit as it continued eastbound on Kalmia Street, which turned into California Oaks Road just east of the I-15 freeway.

The vehicle continued to travel at a high rate of speed on California Oaks Road and approached the area of Saradella Court.  While in this area, the driver of the vehicle leaned out of the vehicle (while the vehicle was still in motion), pointed a handgun at the pursuing officers and fired multiple gunshots at the officers striking one of the patrol vehicles.  The pursuit continued southbound on Clinton Keith Road, it then passed over the I-215 freeway, and continued eastbound on Whitewood Road (which turns into a dirt, unimproved road that dead ends just west of Keller Road).  The vehicle crashed through a fence, continued eastbound on Whitewood Road and turned right on to Keller Road.  Due to the speed and the dust kicked up by the suspect vehicle, officers lost sight of the vehicle for a brief moment.

(Fernando Alonso, age 26 of Menifee suspect arrested by Murrieta Police. Photo courtesy of Murrieta Police Department) 

Officers located the suspect vehicle at the dead end of Keller Road just south of Tracey Avenue and the vehicle was unoccupied.  Officers located a handgun near the vehicle, and it is believed that this weapon was possibly the weapon used in the shooting against the officers.  Officers established a perimeter in the area and began searching for the two subjects.  Officers began a systematic search of the area, which included the use of one of the department’s police service dogs (PSD) as well as a sheriff’s helicopter (Star 9) from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

At 5:45 a.m. dispatch received information of a subject ringing doorbells in the 29000 block of Goldenstar Way in Murrieta.  The Star 9 deputies circled this area and detected what appeared to be a heat source in the backyard of one of the residences. 

Murrieta officers responded to the area, located a subject who was hiding near  trashcans. A  brief struggle ensued between the subject and the officers.  The subject was taken into custody with the help of the police service dog.  A couple of the officers, as well as the subject, sustained injuries while taking the subject into custody. 

The subject was identified as Fernando Alonso (26-year-old Menifee resident) and was also identified as a known gang member.  The suspect vehicle (black full-sized pickup truck) was determined to be stolen out of the city of Temecula, and there were numerous stolen items inside the truck from several vehicle burglaries also from the city of Temecula.  Alonso admitted to being one of two people in the truck during the assault on the officers. 

The outstanding subject was not found in the immediate area, and officers/detectives later learned that another vehicle was stolen in a residential area just east of where the pursuit terminated.  Murrieta PD detectives assumed the investigation and worked in conjunction with the Special Enforcement Team (SET) and Gang investigators from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department – Perris Station (due to Alonso’s gang ties).

At 6:30 p.m. Murrieta PD detectives were contacted by deputies/investigators from the Perris Station SET/Gang Units.  Deputies had a subject detained who admitted to being the outstanding subject in the earlier pursuit and the one who stole the vehicle following the pursuit. 

 (Juan Perez Rodriguez of Menifee suspect arrested by Murrieta Police. Photo courtesy of Murrieta Police Department)

This subject was identified as Jose Juan Perez Rodriguez (32-year-old Menifee resident), and deputies located evidence linking him to Alonso and the pursuit.Deputies also located the stolen vehicle that was taken following the pursuit.  Rodriguez is also a known gang member and was on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS).  It should be noted that Rodriguez is a product of Assembly Bill 109, which is the California State Realignment Act that was signed into law in 2011.  AB 109 allows for thousands of less serious felony offenders to remain out of custody on supervision (probation), whereas they would have previously been eligible for state prison.  Alonso and Rodriguez were initially booked for the following charges:

Fernando Alonso – booked by Murrieta PD detectives

PC 12022.1 – Commission of a crime while on bail
PC 69 – Delay/resist a Peace Officer causing injury
PC 243(b) – Battery on a Peace Officer
PC 29800(A)(1) – Felon in possession of a firearm
PC 186.22(A) – Gang membership
Additional property crime charges

Jose Rodriguez – booked by RSD Perris Station deputies

PC 3455(A) – PRCS Violation

Since their initial booking, both Alonso and Rodriguez have been booked by Murrieta PD detectives for the added booking charge of PC 664/187 – Attempted Murder of a Peace Officer, which carries a $1,000,000 bail.

Anyone with information regarding this case can contact Detective Sergeant Spencer Parker at 951-461-6364 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  You can also provide information anonymously through “We Tip” at 1-800-78-CRIME.