Driver Shot in Freeway Incident, Police Say
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A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy driving home from work Thursday shot and critically wounded a motorist whom he said tried to run him off the San Bernardino Freeway, according to police.
The shooting occurred about 2:45 a.m. on Central Avenue in Montclair, said Montclair Police Lt. Chris Weiske.
The deputy told police that two men tried to run his car off the freeway as he was driving to his Ontario home after his shift at the Temple City sheriff’s station. The deputy pulled off the freeway in Montclair, but the car followed him.
The deputy told police he fired at the men when he thought he heard a gunshot. The driver of the car, Hugo Mendez, 19, of Rancho Cucamonga was struck in the head and was listed Thursday in critical condition at Loma Linda Medical Center.
The passenger, Steven Mondragon, 20, of Hesperia suffered minor injuries when the car collided with a parked pickup truck. Mondragon was booked for assault with a deadly weapon, police said.
Weiske said police at this point will not pursue charges against the deputy, whose name was not released.
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