Authorities are investigating the suspects’ relationship with the victim and the role of a passenger taken into custody.
CHINO HILLS, Calif. — Investigators examining a deadly kidnapping and deputy shooting are working across multiple locations to determine why a man was abducted from a Chino Hills home and later fatally shot inside a car trunk.
The inquiry centers on two neighborhood crime scenes about a mile apart, a surviving passenger who surrendered to deputies and a property in Irvine where authorities served a search warrant connected to the homicide investigation. Officials have not disclosed what they expected to find at the Irvine location or how it was linked to the people involved.
San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies were sent to the 2100 block of Monteverde Drive at about 10:14 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, following reports of gunfire and a person screaming. Investigators said a man was shot at the property and forced into the trunk of a Nissan before the vehicle left the area.
Responding deputies saw the Nissan traveling at a high speed and attempted a traffic stop. At that point, authorities said, the deputies did not know that a wounded kidnapping victim was inside the trunk. The driver refused to stop and led deputies on a short pursuit that ended in the 2400 block of Wandering Ridge Drive.
Deputies ordered the two occupants to get out. A 67-year-old passenger complied and was detained without injury. The driver, also described as 67, did not immediately follow commands. Authorities said he eventually left the vehicle, approached the trunk and fired at the man inside.
Deputies then shot the driver. After approaching the car, they discovered the captive with gunshot wounds in the trunk. Deputies attempted to save both men, but each was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim was reported to be in his 60s and had suffered a gunshot wound before the pursuit as well as the later shooting at the trunk.
The names of the driver and victim had not been released. Authorities said investigators were still determining whether the two suspected kidnappers knew the victim and what events led to the confrontation at the Monteverde Drive home. No motive has been announced.
The surviving passenger could provide investigators with information about the planning, purpose and sequence of the alleged kidnapping. The Sheriff’s Department has not announced whether he has been arrested on suspicion of a crime, formally booked or released. Officials also have not described any statements he may have provided.
Investigators are reviewing residential surveillance video from the area. Footage described by authorities showed the passenger leaving the vehicle with his hands raised and the driver moving toward the trunk. Other evidence could include recordings from deputies’ body-worn cameras, patrol vehicles and nearby homes, though officials have not said when any footage may be released.
The case also requires investigators to examine separate actions at different points in the incident. Those include the reported shooting and abduction on Monteverde Drive, the brief vehicle pursuit, the gunfire directed into the trunk and the deputies’ use of deadly force on Wandering Ridge Drive.
No deputies were injured, and authorities said there were no suspects still being sought. The Homicide Detail is leading the investigation as officials work to establish the relationships among the three men, evaluate evidence collected in Chino Hills and Irvine, and determine whether anyone else was involved.
Author note: Last updated July 31, 2026.