A 23-year-old man was arrested in Pomona Saturday morning on suspicion of being a gang member in possession of a loaded firearm after he ran from police and was later found hiding inside a refrigerator in the backyard of a home.
At 12:30 a.m., members of the Pomona Police Department's Major Crimes Task Force and California Highway Patrol officers working gang suppression in the 100 block of West Kingsley Avenue, near Garey Avenue, attempted to stop a vehicle for code violations, according to Pomona police Cpl. J. Hernandez.
The driver stopped abruptly and a passenger got out of the vehicle and ran into a neighborhood, scaling fences in an attempt to get away from police, Hernandez said.
Officers set up a containment area and requested the department's helicopter, which picked up a heat source in the backyard of a home within the containment area, Hernandez said.
The helicopter pilot directed police to the location where the suspect, identified as Michael Lopez of Upland, was hiding in a refrigerator, Hernandez said.
Lopez was taken into custody and a search of the area turned up a loaded gun. Officers also found a second gun magazine and drugs on Lopez, Hernandez said.
Lopez was booked at the Pomona City Jail on a variety of felony gun and drug charges.
