Desert Hot Springs police fatally shot a stolen vehicle suspect early Thursday and Riverside County homicide detectives were investigating, a sheriff's sergeant said.
The deceased was identified by the coroner as Eulizez Rodriguez, 24, of Desert Hot Springs.
The vehicle was reported stolen just after midnight and police spotted the vehicle near Hacienda Avenue in Desert Hot Springs at 12:21 a.m. Aug. 22, Sgt. Jeff Buompensiero of the sheriff's Central Homicide Unit said in a statement.
An officer initiated a traffic stop, a pursuit ensued, the suspects abandoned the vehicle on El Cajon Drive and ran towards La Mesa Drive, Buompensiero said.
"Desert Hot Springs officers confronted one of the suspects and an officer involved shooting occurred in the 13000 block of La Mesa Drive," Buompensiero said.
The suspect was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 1:03 a.m. Thursday, according to the coroner.
"A search of the area was conducted for the second suspect, but he was not located," Buompensiero said. The identity of the second suspect was unknown. He was described as a male wearing dark clothing.
The officer involved in the shooting is a six-year veteran law enforcement officer, Buompensiero said. The officer was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of investigations.
Anyone with more info was urged to call Investigator Paz at the sheriff's Central Homicide Unit at (760) 393-3500.
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