A man suspected of committing an assault and no-hit gang-related shooting in Anaheim last month and a female accomplice were arrested Wednesday after a chase that ended with a crash in Tustin, injuring one officer.
The 15-minute chase began about 4 p.m. after a car left a home in the 1200 block of South Standard Avenue in Santa Ana, according to police.
The residence had been under surveillance by Anaheim police gang detectives seeking 21-year-old Crystal Rincon who is suspected of being involved in a Nov. 28 assault at Rose and Sycamore streets in Anaheim, police said.
During the assault, police allege Rincon's boyfriend, 24-year-old Juan Monzon of Anaheim, beat another man on the head with a rifle and then fired shots at witnesses from a getaway car driven by Rincon, according to Anaheim police Sgt. Daron Wyatt.
Rincon arrived at the residence in a vehicle with Monzon as her passenger Wednesday, but immediately drove away, Wyatt said.
Investigators began following the vehicle and requested assistance from marked police units in the area. Rincon began trying to evade the undercover officers, but became stuck in traffic going north on Redhill Avenue from Edinger Avenue in Tustin, Wyatt said.
As they were stuck in traffic, Monzon moved to the driver's seat and accelerated away when a marked Tustin police unit tried to block the vehicle from the front, with Anaheim Police Department undercover units blocking from behind.
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Monzon began ramming the police vehicles, ultimately making room to escape between the vehicles, Wyatt said.
As Monzon entered the intersection of Red Hill and El Camino Real he collided with another vehicle, causing his vehicle to roll, according to the sergeant. The vehicle came to rest on its wheels and Monzon drove off again, with marked Tustin Police Department units in pursuit.
During the chase, Wyatt said Monzon threw a loaded handgun from the vehicle and the gun was recovered.
The chase ended when Monzon turned down a dead-end street in Tustin and was blocked in by units, but he rammed one marked Tustin police unit before being completely blocked in and surrendering, Wyatt said.
The pair was taken into custody and police found two 4-year-old girls in the back seat of the car, believed to be children of a relative of Rincon.
The children were not injured and were released to their mother, Wyatt said.
An Anaheim investigator suffered minor injuries as a result of his vehicle being rammed, Wyatt said.
Rincon and Monzon were taken to a hospital for medical clearance before being taken to the Anaheim Police Department Detention Facility where they were booked on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a firearm, child endangerment, felony evading, firearms charges and gang enhancements, Wyatt said.
The statutory bail is $500,000 for the crimes, "however, based on the totality of the circumstances, detectives will be requesting a bail enhancement,'' Wyatt said.
