The trio, wearing masks and possibly armed with handguns, exited a dark-colored sedan that had stopped in front of the jewelry store, located on the 1500 block of South Harbor Boulevard. A uniformed security guard employed by the store fired at the suspects as they approached, causing them to flee the scene, a preliminary investigation revealed.

Police responded to the scene around 12:08 p.m. and searched the area for possible suspects.

No suspects were in custody late Wednesday and it is unknown if any were struck by the gunfire, Sgt. Ryan O’Neil said.

No other injuries were reported.

The 20-second pursuit, which reached speeds over 100 mph, occurred Saturday night after the driver, whose identity has not been released, refused to comply with a traffic stop, police said. Two passengers in the white Nissan Sentra being chased, later identified as 15-year-old Robert Rias and 14-year-old Domonic Adams Jr., died at the scene after the driver crashed into a police car on Valley Boulevard and Cypress Avenue, police said in a statement Monday.

The driver and another passenger were hospitalized after the crash. The passenger, 15-year-old Omari Pitts, later died from his injuries.

On Monday, Rialto Unified School District officials confirmed the three teenagers who died were students at Carter High School in Rialto.

“The district is heartbroken in the loss of our three young students. Social-emotional support for students and staff began this morning and will continue at Carter High School and schools where students and staff have been impacted. The district also wishes the three surviving individuals a full recovery. This will be a challenging week for our education community but we will remain resilient,”  Rialto Unified School District spokesperson Syeda Jafri said in a statement.

The driver is being treated for serious injuries, police said. It is unclear whether the individual was also a student or what their relationship was to the three teens who died.

One injured officer was released from the hospital Monday. The other officer is continuing to receive treatment for his injuries, Fontana Officer Steven Reed said.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the families, friends, and all those affected by this heartbreaking loss. We recognize the profound impact that incidents like these have on our community, and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone touched by this tragedy,” the Fontana Police Department said in a statement.

The pursuit began around 10:44 p.m. after officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop for vehicle code violations on a white Nissan Sentra and the driver did not comply, police said in a news release.

The pursuit, which lasted around 20 seconds, reached speeds of over 100 mph and ended after the suspect lost control of the sedan and crashed into a responding police unit’s car on Valley Boulevard and Cypress Avenue.

Two teenagers, later identified as 15-year-old Robert Rias and 14-year-old Domonic Adams Jr., were pronounced dead at the scene, police said in the release. Two of the four occupants in the Nissan were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. A passenger, 15-year-old Omari Pitts, later died from his injuries.

The two officers who were in the police vehicle when it was struck were also hospitalized with serious injuries. One officer was released Monday, while the other is continuing to receive treatment for his injuries, Officer Steven Reed said.

On Monday, Rialto Unified School District officials confirmed the three teenagers who died were students at Carter High School.

The Nissan driver, whose identity has not been released, is being treated for serious injuries, police said. It is unclear whether the individual was also a student or what their relationship was to the three victims.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s major accident team is handling the investigation.

Flooding could be “catastrophic” during heavy rainfall in Orange County and inland cities including Corona, Rancho Cucamonga and San Bernardino, National Weather Service forecaster Adam Roser warned Sunday.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday proclaimed a state of emergency for eight local counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino.

“California: this is a serious storm with dangerous and potentially life-threatening impacts,” Newsom said. “Please pay attention to any emergency orders or alerts from local officials.”

Emergencies were also declared by Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

“Very heavy” rainfall was expected through 6 a.m. Monday in the Los Angeles area, with a 20% chance of thunderstorms. Heavy rainfall, around 4-8 inches is anticipated there until midnight on Tuesday, before turning into more moderate rain the rest of the day.

Mountain and foothill areas could see up to 8-14 inches – and possibly 15 inches of rain throughout that window.

“That’s a lot of water, people,” NWS meteorologist Ryan Kittell said in a briefing on Sunday. “We’re just expecting a lot of freeway flooding and road flooding, road closures. There will be a lot of flooding of parked cars … just a real mess.”

Here are the latest details on the upcoming storm. This is a DANGEROUS SYSTEM with major risks to life and property. Substantial flooding. Residents should heed any evacuation orders. Stay off the roads, especially the freeways, this afternoon through at least Monday morning. pic.twitter.com/z7uVIvKMAN

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 4, 2024

Those who can work remotely should do that, or at least stay off freeways Monday morning, he said.

The region was under a flood watch through Tuesday afternoon and at least one flash flood warning: For the Malibu/Topanga area stretching east to Santa Monica and West Hollywood.

Flash Flood Warning including Santa Monica CA, West Hollywood CA and Beverly Hills CA until 9:00 AM PST pic.twitter.com/c17sBIanMb

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 5, 2024

Through 6 p.m. Sunday, Downtown Los Angeles had received 1.18 inches from the early hours of the storm system, the NWS said. In Orange County, Brea had received 1.42 inches by 8:30 p.m.

Yesterday, Feb 4th, DT L.A. had 4.10" of rain. Exceeded daily record of 2.55" set in 1927. Since 1877, 3rd wettest day ever for Feb (hiest 4.80" on 2/24/1913). Ties for 10th wettest day ever with 3/15/2003. (Wettest day ever 5.88" on 3/2/1938.) #LARain #LAWeather #SoCal #cawx

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 5, 2024

In Long Beach, 19 people were temporarily stranded off the coast Sunday afternoon when a boat shipwrecked into the breakwater. One minor injury was reported from the accident, which officials said happened after the mast on the vessel broke off amid gale force winds and rough waves.

Heavy rain and flooding Sunday also led to some motorists getting stranded in Tarzana, where a Los Angeles Fire Department swift water rescue team deployed a raft to rescue victims in their cars in the 19000 block of Oxnard Street, at Donna Avenue, news agency Onscene.TV reported.

The cars were stuck in two to three feet of water at the intersection. A 911 call came in at 6:22 p.m. Sunday, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange said.

The stranded vehicle’s occupants remained inside because of the unpredictable currents at the intersection, Prange said. No injuries were reported.

Onscene also reported that in La Habra, a wall collapsed into a parking area, damaging at least three vehicles at 990 W. Las Lomas Drive.

Later Sunday, rock and mudslides were reported in the canyon roads leading to and from Malibu, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

“Currently, Malibu Canyon Road is closed between Malibu Crest and Mulholland Highway.  Traveling on other routes (Kanan Dume Road, Topanga Canyon, etc.) is not advisable,” LASD said on social media.

In Studio City, nine homes were evacuated Sunday night due to a debris flow that damaged at least two of those homes and threatened others.

Firefighters were called at 9:08 p.m. Sunday to 11960 W. Lockridge Road, off Fryman Road and bordering on Fryman Canyon Park, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Nicholas Prange.

Firefighters assisted 16 residents with evacuations, Prange said. Some were precautionary, “in case further soil instability causes another flow nearby,” Prange said.

LAFD heavy equipment was on the scene to help deal with soil and debris, he said.

No injuries were reported, Prange said. The American Red Cross was available to help the displaced residents.

In Huntington Beach, a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway was closed in both directions by flooding.

#FLOODING: Northbound & Southbound PCH from Warner Avenue to Seapoint Street is closed due to flooding caused by heavy rains. Please use caution while driving and obey all detour signs. For real time updates, please check: https://t.co/0mHKv5L74s #CHP #BeSafe #StayAlert #MoveOver pic.twitter.com/4OiPIjR1On

— Caltrans District 12 (@CaltransOC) February 5, 2024

Residents in the La Tuna Canyon Road area north of Hollywood Burbank Airport were ordered to evacuate Sunday because of the high risk of debris flow triggered by the heavy rain.

Quick timing update for everyone:

Key points:
Focus of heavy rain on Orange County, Inland Empire, and San Bernardino County Mtns Today-Mon

Moderate to heavy rain not reaching San Diego County until Mon evening

Snow levels not falling until Mon evening#CAwx pic.twitter.com/woKMozC2p3

— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) February 4, 2024

In Riverside County, officials on Sunday advised anyone within the Santa Ana river bottom or the San Jacinto riverbed or channels to leave immediately to higher ground as heavy rains may result in dangerous water flows in that area.

Orange County and Inland Empire areas will also see steady and significant rain move through Monday night, National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Adams said on Sunday.

Flooding also is expected in various parts of the Inland Empire, as the storm will deliver prolonged periods of rain and mountain snow, with gusty south winds in the deserts.

San Bernardino and Riverside County mountain areas should expect heavy rain until 6 p.m. Monday. Mountain areas along the 15 Freeway and through the Cajon Pass could see up to a foot of rain, Roser said.

A wind advisory has been issued for coastal areas of Orange County until 10 a.m. Monday, with 15 to 25 mph winds and gusts of up to 45 mph. Residents should expect heavy rain and a moderate to high risk of potential flooding through Tuesday evening, with rainfall totals between 4 to 6 inches in Orange County, Adams said.

In the Inland Empire, rainfall will vary from 2 inches to upwards of 6 inches in areas including Chino and Ontario. The mountains also are expected to receive substantial rain, between 4 to 8 inches, as well as 6-12 inches in foothill areas near Mt. Baldy.

There also is a remote chance of a waterspout or tornado along the coast, Kittell said.

California has mobilized 8,500 emergency responders to help local agencies around the state with potential flooding, mud and landslides, transportation problems and 911 calls, Newsom said.

Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Northridge and Cal State Long Beach all planned to be closed Monday.

Long Beach City College has closed both its Liberal Arts Campus at 4901 East Carson St. and its Pacific Coast Campus at 1305 E. Pacific Coast Highway on Monday. Students should check to see if their classes will be online, and employees will work remotely.

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district planned to keep schools open Monday, with the exception of Vinedale Elementary School in Sun Valley. Carvalho added that district officials would continue to monitor the storm, and plans could change later.

Elsewhere, strong winds and heavy rain brought treacherous conditions to the coastal city of Ventura, west of Los Angeles, said Alexis Herrera, who was trying to bail out his sedan, which was filled with floodwater. “All the freeways are flooded around here,” Herrera said in Spanish. “I don’t know how I’m going to move my car.”

On Sunday, customers called the Santa Barbara Home Improvement Center inquiring about sandbags, flashlights and generators, said assistant manager Lupita Vital. Sandbags sold out on Saturday, so people were buying bags of potting soil and fertilizer instead, she said.

“People are trying to get anything they can get that’s heavy to use it as, you know, protection for their doors and everything,” Vital said Sunday.

Nearly 846,000 customers were without electricity statewide by Sunday evening, with most of the outages concentrated in coastal regions, according to poweroutage.us.

—————————————————————————————

Evacuation orders and centers include:

• In Los Angeles County, evacuation orders were issued for the Owen Fire area, on Santa Maria Road from Topanga Canyon, and the Agua Fire area along Soledad Canyon Road east of Agua Dulce Canyon Road, in effect from 6 p.m. Saturday through 6 p.m. Tuesday.
• A shelter was established at OneGeneration Senior Enrichment Center, 18255 Victory Blvd. in Reseda.
• Evacuation centers for people and household pets opened at Sunland Senior Citizen Center at 8640 Fenwick St. and Lake View Terrace Recreation Center at 11075 Foothill Blvd.
• Large animals can be evacuated to Hansen Dam Horse Park at 11127 Orcas Ave. in Lake View Terrace, the LA Equestrian Center at 480 Riverside Drive in Burbank, and at Agoura Animal Care Center, 29525 Agoura Road in Agoura Hills.

There were assorted evacuation warnings in the region, including in San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Staff writer Hunter Lee and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

How Southern California officials, residents are preparing for dangerous storm

Officers responded to West Orangewood Avenue at the 57 Freeway overpass around 6:08 a.m., where a pedestrian, later identified as Carlos Gerardo Jax from Los Angeles, was found visibly injured on the south sidewalk. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Orange City Fire Department.

No further details, including information about the suspect’s vehicle were released.

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information can contact Detective Rocha at 714-744-7342.

Rail services were suspended between the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and Oceanside stations as of late Wednesday afternoon, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley said in a news release.

OC/IEOC Line Alert: Tracks are closed between San Juan Capistrano and Oceanside due to possible hillside sliding near San Clemente. Update to follow.

— MetrolinkIEOC (@MetrolinkIEOC) January 25, 2024

UPDATE: As of 5:58 PM PT, Due to an unforeseen track closure resulting from previous weather events, all train service between Irvine and Oceanside is temporarily suspended. A bus bridge will operate between those stations assisting affected customers. Updates to follow.

— Pacific Surfliner (@PacSurfliners) January 25, 2024

The closure also affected Metrolink service lines between Orange County and the Inland Empire. Individuals using Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner to travel between Los Angeles and San Diego could also face lengthy delays and potential cancellations, Amtrak said on social media.

“I remain committed to working with our partners to clean up and monitor this situation, but more importantly, find solutions for rail stability,” Foley said in a statement.

Representatives from Amtrak and Metrolink could not be immediately reached for comment. Details on when the tracks may reopen were not released.

Landslides in the area the past few years have caused the rail line to be closed intermittently because of track damage.

The closure of the Mariposa Bridge beach trail this month followed a closure in December.

For the safety of the public, the San Clemente Beach Trail Mariposa Bridge is currently closed while slope movement is being evaluated. The bridge will be reopened as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/k3A8H0UxEz

— CityofSanClemente,CA (@CitySanClemente) January 17, 2024

Law enforcement officers scoured business after business for surveillance footage, and asked the public for help — and for the perpetrators to turn themselves in.

• For the latest, see: Gunman who killed 6-year-old in road-rage shooting on 55 freeway found guilty

Testimony in the ongoing Orange County Superior Court trial of the admitted gunman — Marcus Anthony Eriz — has laid out for the first time in detail how in 2021 investigators, initially left with little but vague descriptions of a male shooter and a female driver, a road-rage confrontation and a fatally injured young child, brought an end to the closely watched dragnet.

Joanna Cloonan had been driving her son, Aiden Leos, to kindergarten in the carpool lane of the northbound 55 Freeway during that May 21 morning’s rush hour, when the driver of a Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen sped up behind and then around her, cut off Cloonan’s Chevrolet Sonic, and flashed a peace sign.

Initially scared and then angered, Cloonan gave the other driver the middle finger as she merged into other lanes, she later told police. The mother would testified to briefly making eye contact with the male passenger in the Volkswagen, then hearing a loud noise and a cry of pain from her son. The single gunshot went through the trunk and struck the boy, in a booster seat in the rear. He died within the hour.

Quickly, CHP Officer Kevin Futrell, who handled felony investigations at the CHP’s Santa Ana field office, got the case. Having served in the U.S. Marine Corps, he testified in court in a dark suit with a long and well-kept beard and his hair in a ponytail.

Within 20 minutes, he was out on the freeway near the Walnut Avenue overpass in Orange.

Investigators requested to supervisors and Caltrans to shut down the northbound 55.

They walked the empty lanes, methodically searching for bullet casings or other evidence. Nothing was found.

A construction worker who was driving from his Santa Ana home to an Anaheim Hills worksite gave investigators their first major lead: Avila Raul, in testimony, described seeing the encounter between the two vehicles, which were ahead of him, followed by a man pulling out a gun and firing.

“I felt that was not OK and took a picture of the car to report it,” Raul testified through a Spanish-language interpreter.

Raul didn’t initially believe anyone had been struck. But a coworker who had also driven to work on the 55 Freeway and saw Cloonan carrying Aiden on the side of the roadway urged him to call 911. Investigators immediately drove out to his worksite to interview Raul.

The picture Raul took provided a general image of the suspect vehicle but was too far away and blurry to read the license plate.

Although 285 cameras dot the county’s freeways and tollways, so Caltrans and the CHP can get live feeds and respond to collisions and other events, they do not record. So officers from multiple agencies began the time-consuming task of going to businesses near the 55 looking for surveillance footage.

“We were knocking on every door along the freeway,” Futrell said. “If they had a camera visible from the street, we were talking to the manager or whoever had access to it.”

Better-quality photos of the suspect vehicle culled from that extensive search began to be released to the public.

Meanwhile, more than two dozen banners — “Who shot Aiden?” — were created by supporters from the public and draped over overpasses in Orange County and in the Inland Empire. A reward, at least part of it to be paid after a conviction, snowballed. Civic leaders and businesses pledged funds, and it grew to $500,000.

Various law enforcement agencies helped chase down leads that were starting to come in from around the country. Pressure on investigators continued to intensify as the manhunt stretched on. Six days after the shooting, District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced that Aiden’s killer, as well as the driver, had “about 24 hours to turn yourselves in.” An Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigator helped create a sketch of the male gunman and the female driver.

The improved surveillance-footage images helped investigators narrow down the year and the make of the vehicle based on the trim and the tires — it was not a common model.

A week and a half after the shooting, investigators had winnowed down possibilities to several dozen specific cars, presumably with help from the Department of Motor Vehicles database.

Meanwhile, an unidentified tipster told authorities that Eriz and girlfriend Wynne Lee had a car matching the description of the one they were searching for, according to previous court testimony. That tipster also mentioned that the couple had started coming to their workplace at a car shop in Highland in a different vehicle, Eriz’s red pickup truck.

It turned out that Lee’s parents had purchased a car investigators became interested in.

On June 6, 2021, a team of law enforcement officers were waiting for Eriz and Lee when his pickup truck pulled into a parking space at their Costa Mesa apartment. The couple was arrested without incident.

A key fob for a 2018 Volkswagen Sportwagen was found at their apartment.

After leaving Eriz in a patrol car at the Costa Mesa Police Department for more than an hour as they interviewed Lee, Officer Futrell and another investigator brought him into a small interrogation room. Footage from the interrogation has been shown during the trial.

After a brief chat about Eriz’s background growing up in Northern California, the investigators got to the point.

“You know exactly what this is about,” one said.

Eriz quickly admitted to firing the gunshot.

“I don’t know why, I have no answer why, but I pulled out my Glock and pulled the trigger and it was gone,” he said. “I’ll tell you anything.”

“I think we got through the hardest part right now,” Officer Futrell responded. “The cat’s out of the bag.”

Eriz has since contended that he didn’t know Aiden had died or that a manhunt was underway until a week after the shooting, when a coworker told him Lee’s vehicle matched the one police were searching for. He has said he decided not to turn himself in because he was worried Lee would get in trouble. She faces lesser charges, including being an accessory after the fact, in a later trial.

Jurors will likely be asked to focus on Eriz’s state of mind. The prosecution has argued that he acted with a “callous and total disregard for human life,” while the defense has countered that it was “a mistake, a rash decision by a young man.”

The trial’s closing arguments are expected on Wednesday, Jan. 24, followed by jury deliberations.

On Jan. 18, agents with the San Clemente Border Patrol Station stopped a car heading north on the 5 Freeway near the Vista Hermosa Highway exit. The canine, named Mya, conducted a sniff test and alerted authorities of possible narcotics located near the trunk, according to a news release from U.S Customs and Border Protection.

After searching the car’s trunk, agents found a spare tire described as ‘heavier than normal’ and transported the driver and vehicle to the border patrol station. Upon further inspection, 38 pounds of blue pills wrapped in 15 cellophane packages were recovered inside the tire, which later tested positive for the presence of fentanyl, officials said.

It was unclear if the pills contained other illegal substances. The drugs reportedly contained an estimated street value of $1,720,000.00, authorities said.

The driver, a 25-year-old man, was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for federal prosecution.

No further information was available.

Around 1:23 p.m., crewmembers from the Fullerton Fire Department responded to heavy fire and smoke coming from the interior of the building in the 1700 block of West Orangethorpe Avenue. Due to the thick smoke, Orangethorpe Elementary School on nearby Brookhurst Road had to shelter in place.

Deputy Fullerton Fire Chief Jon Fugitt said the fire was successfully knocked down, and damage was isolated to the area of origin. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Shortly before 7 a.m., firefighters responded to reports of smoke from the roof of the building, where they encountered heavier smoke inside. The fire, knocked down in about 25 minutes, caused an estimated $400,000 in damage, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Greg Barta said.

FF’s responded to an unoccupied restaurant in the 23600 block of Via Linda in @MissionViejoCA at 6:49 a.m. for reports of smoke from the roof, encountered heavy smoke inside the restaurant, called a 2nd alarm to add additional resources, and knocked down the fire in 25 minutes. pic.twitter.com/QaERraGOgb

— OCFA PIO (@OCFireAuthority) January 21, 2024

Esqueda was expecting a busy day at the eatery — which had been getting popular – when she and her husband Tony were woken up by a phone call from their cook, Jose Orozco.

“The restaurant is burning, the restaurant is burning!’, he told them in Spanish over the speakerphone.

The extent of the fire was “huge,” Esqueda said. The kitchen and prep kitchen were completely burned out, the ceiling in the pizza kitchen collapsed, there were six holes in the roof and the rest of the ceiling was collapsing, she said. There was also water damage from a broken pipe in the kitchen, which leaked into the dining area.

“Everything is messed up and destroyed, it’s all going to have to be rebuilt,” Esqueda said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation Sunday.

“I’m going through all these emotions,” Esqueda said. “I just can’t believe it. I’m so freaking shocked.”‘

Esqueda has received an outpouring of community support, including from the Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce, which she said offered to start a GoFundMe page for Green Chile. On Sunday afternoon, a link had not yet been set up.

“God has a plan for everything and we just have to trust and continue to trust that everything that’s happening is for a reason and a bigger plan,” Esqueda said.

After she was diagnosed with stage three follicular helper T-cell lymphoma, her illness and weakened immune system meant she couldn’t be around groups of people inside her own restaurant, even though she’d love to “be the face of my business — meeting, greeting and being a part of our first days,” she previously told a reporter,

A fundraiser to help cover her cancer treatment was in the planning stages even before this latest setback. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Green Chile Cantina, at 23641 Via Linda in Mission Viejo.

It will be held in the parking lot.