Escapee Back Behind Bars After Chase and Gunfight

A 26-year-old prison escapee was arrested Thursday after he allegedly fired a semiautomatic weapon at officers during a pursuit, investigators said.

No officers were injured, but a bullet did strike a patrol car, Anaheim Police Lt. Ted Labahn said.

Demitrio “Daniel” Borja Gonzalez of Anaheim is being held without bail on suspicion of attempting to kill a police officer, illegally possessing a weapon and evading arrest, Labahn said. Gonzalez suffered a dog bite and was treated at a local hospital before being booked into La Habra’s city jail, police said. Gonzalez escaped in October 1995 when he was in a minimum security dormitory at Corcoran on a drug violation and “basically walked away,” according to a prison spokeswoman. Police have been looking for him since then.

The chase began about 10 p.m. Wednesday at West Street and La Palma Avenue in Anaheim, when officers tried to stop Gonzalez on a traffic violation, Labahn said. The driver then led police on a chase into La Habra, where he fired several shots at the officers, Labahn said.

“The officers felt like they were being shot at, so they returned fire,” Labahn said. The assailant abandoned his car on the north end of Idaho Street and police launched a neighborhood search involving dozens of officers from seven Orange and Los Angeles county agencies, aided by three helicopters and several police dogs.

About 4:30 a.m. Thursday, several Los Angeles sheriff deputies found Gonzalez at Russell Street and Silliker Avenue, La Habra Police Sgt. Ray Breur said.

Officers accompanied by a police dog chased the man and detained him after a brief struggle, police said. Gonzalez allegedly was carrying a 9-millimeter handgun, Labahn said. Investigators recovered another handgun in the abandoned car.