Cop Killer At Large in Southern CA's High Desert

August 2, 2003 | self

[lainie]

There is a major convergence of police in Llano/Pearblossom/Lake LA area of the Antelope Valley this afternoon. An ordinary rush of code-3 wouldn't be thread worthy, but this one is big.

Suspect still at large but his vehicle has been located. An officer is confirmed to have been killed. At one point, I heard officers reporting that the suspect's home appears to be booby-trapped with "pipe bombs." Armored bomb squad unit has been called.

For the last hour, this incredible scene has been unfolding in the high desert. The scanner is crazy, I can barely keep up. I've never heard anything like it. L-TAC, A-TAC, SPEC-U, three helicopters, squad cars galore.. four just raced by from Santa Clarita (I heard them giving those officers directions about 20 minutes ago).

[lainie]

I'm hearing that the vehicle is a yellow Dodge Dart with a black top. The suspect is a white male, 5'8". The vehicle has been located next to an "abandoned shack" out in the desert south of Llano.

[billhilly]

Slow news day?

[lainie]

It was, yeah.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Keep us posted!

All kinds of places for someone to hide up there.

[snopercod]

I just hope Chuck Yeager hasn't gone off the deep end...

[lainie]

Not long ago, cruisers were out in Littlerock Wash of all places, getting stuck in the sand and shouting their frustration into their radios. One kept saying there were "tunnels dug" -- the rest sounded like exasperated keystone kops. Then the vehicle was found, and they're still directing cruisers out of that dust bowl. It's crazy.

The suspect vehicle's location is approx. 200th street east and Avenue R. They're shutting down area streets now.

I'm worried that he had a vehicle stashed there and he's long gone by now.

[Joe Boucher]

Couldn't be General Yeager, he's 10 feet tall.

[lainie]

I was just outside -- can see helicopters through field glasses.

[lainie]

I don't think so -- but how tall is Gray Doofus? hmmm

[LibWhacker]

Is that where they shot all those B westerns in the 40s?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

He can't go North there, right?

Likely East or South!

Might try a run for Vegas!

[snopercod]

I met Gen. Yeager once. Actually he's about 5'6 or so.

[lainie]

Sounds about right. I'm not from here originally and don't know the lore. I've seen X-Files filming, the Bubble Boy movie, lots of commercials.

[Thinkin' Gal]

a yellow Dodge Dart

Aren't people embarrassed by those things anymore?

[lainie]

If he goes northwest he'll be in my neck of the woods, so let's hope not. Edwards AFB is about 20 miles north of the reported shack, Victorville about 30 or 40 miles east. This is all happening really close to the San Bern county line.

[LibWhacker]

. . . Or is this the Littlerock Wash?

I think Clinton grew up somewhere around there.

[Brad's Gramma]

BTTT to keep an eye on this. Thanks for the thread.

[LibWhacker]

Just kidding. :-)

Keep your head down.

[lainie]

groovy, man

[lainie]

BTW I have the suspect's name and license plate number. I don't know if I should post it.

Police scanners are really handy.

[lainie]

armored vehicle just screamed by.

I'm not near the location really, but I'm on a major artery that connects it to Lancaster.

[Brad's Gramma]

That could be most helpful....IF it's allowed.

[Riley]

I am following this with great interest. I was just down in Littlerock a few weeks ago visiting with friends. I am really curious for details now.

[breakem]

need some help on 21

[lainie]

Cop vehicles are running out of gas & getting stuck in sand. Good grief.

[dr_who_2]

Maybe the vultures will get him instead of the cops.

[lainie]

CHP has closed Palmdale Blvd. Armored vehicle has arrived and they're setting up ..something. I don't know what they do in this situation.

[Conservababe]

Oh goodness gracious, this is a suspect on the run...why couldn't he post the name and license? The news will in just a few minutes, methinks.

[dr_who_2]

Come and get me, coppers!

[breakem]

I don't object. Just thought the moderator would give him a thumbs up that JR would live with.

[lainie]

They are trying to determine if there's one suspect or two. Area residents are locked down by San Bernardino and L.A. county units. (There probably aren't very many out there) All traffic is stopped. SWAT on scene.

[lainie]

Dispatch is telling them it has "very important information regarding the suspect" and wants to know to which unit it should send it. Do these guys have little fax machines in their cars? Digital readout things? (drat that means I can't hear)

[lainie]

LOL, this is NOT funny, but it's funny. The AV has overheated and broken down en route.

It's tempting to call and ask if they need anything! I heard another guy asking for dispatch to bring them all drinking water.

[Thinkin' Gal]

When I was in high school, the rich kids had nice sports cars, the average kids drove the parents' non descript and slightly embarrassing Ford Fiestas and Chevy Shove-its (hey they were wheels), and the auto afficionados drove "I did all the work on this old beaut" mustangs and assorted muscle cars. But NOBODY - not even the nerds who spent their lives in their cellars playing D&D - would be caught dead in a green Dodge Dart.

One day, a green dodge dart appeared in the school parking lot. Everyone was just dying to know who drove it, in order to belittle and shame the poor hapless soul who used it. It was under surveillance for days, but the ugly beast just sat there. It finally disappeared over a weekend, never to be seen in that lot again.

We suspected that the driver walked or hitched a ride home until the heat was off, then snuck over late one night to retrieve it.

[lainie]

hehe! This suspect car is yellow with a black top -- even worse.

[jhw61]

**a yellow Dodge Dart
Aren't people embarrassed by those things anymore?**

Hey, I learned to drive in a blue Dodge Dart. Great car. Course it was 20 yrs. ago.

[KS Flyover]

Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy killed in Mojave Desert

Saturday August 02, 2003

LLANO, Calif. (AP) A Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy was killed Saturday and deputies were searching for a suspect, officials said.

Residents of this community along Highway 138 reported hearing gunshots before the male deputy was found dead around 12:30 p.m., Deputy Faye Bugarin said.

No further details were immediately available. It was not clear if the deputy had died from gunshot wounds.

Llano is about 40 miles northeast of Los Angeles, on the western fringes of the Mojave Desert.

http://cbs2.com/california/CA--DeputySlain-kn/resources_news_html

[Thinkin' Gal]

This suspect car is yellow with a black top -- even worse.

I didn't realize that they came in a bumblebee color scheme. Or may it's a spiffy custom job. ROTFL. Is the driver wearing a black t-shirt?

[Riley]

Do these guys have little fax machines in their cars?

Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs). Computer-radio-computer communication.

Now I am really curious about the details. I haven't found a live scanner link to the AV yet.

[lainie]

Thank you so much. I was wondering what was taking the media outlets so long!

[lainie]

uhhh... no word on the clothing, but the description did include a baseball cap.

[Admin Moderator]

Jim says we have no way of verifying it, so please don't. Thanks for asking first.

[breakem]

pinging the guy who originally asked the question

[lainie]

Me too. I just heard them doing a "confound it!" routine because the message wasn't going through -- so I thought they might actually say it out loud. But then it worked. :/

There is no live scanner link online that I know of. I have a base station and a handheld. They're still running four freqs.

[breakem]

see 43

[Admin Moderator]

Please see 43. It was meant for you :)

[lainie]

That would be me. I'm a she :)

Thanks, A.M. I'll hold off until/unless I see it published somewhere.

[Thinkin' Gal]

Hey, I learned to drive in a blue Dodge Dart. Great car. Course it was 20 yrs. ago.

You learned to drive where no one you knew could possibly see you?! ;-)

[lainie]

God rest his soul.