Long Beach man causes deadly crash in Fontana while fleeing from CHP, authorities say
Police say 32-year-old Noe Banuelos later escaping police custody at a hospital but was rearrested after a manhunt.
A Long Beach man who prompted a manhunt after escaping from police custody in the aftermath of a deadly crash in Fontana has been rearrested, authorities said Thursday.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Noe Armando Banuelos, 32, was speeding southbound on the 15 Freeway near Sierra Avenue, north of Fontana, around 1:15 p.m. Wednesday when an officer pulled him over.
Banuelos pulled over to the shoulder where officers made contact with him and learned he had a federal warrant out for his arrest, the CHP said in a press release.
While the CHP officer awaited backup, Banuelos suddenly sped off, they said.
The officer followed Banuelos, who got off the freeway at Summit Avenue and continued westbound on Beech Avenue, according to the CHP.
Banuelos then crashed into the driver of a Ford Mustang at the intersection of Beech and Cherry avenues, the CHP said.
Video of the crash posted online by ABC7 shows Banuelos slamming into the driver side of the Mustang at a high speed, wrecking the vehicle.
#BREAKING: A suspect who slammed his Jeep into a Mustang while fleeing a CHP officer, killing the Mustang's driver, has escaped from a Colton hospital. Eyewitness News is live on the ground and in the air with the urgent search. Tonight at 11 from ABC7 https://t.co/tuAjpwydK9 pic.twitter.com/XWHQf458ws
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) September 5, 2024
The driver of the Mustang died at the scene, the CHP said. His identity was not immediately released.
Banuelos tried to run away from the crash site but was quickly captured by CHP officers, authorities said.
Banuelos, who was injured in the crash, was taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Rialto for treatment.
Later, while being transferred from the hospital to jail around 7 p.m., Banuelos escaped from police custody, according to the CHP.
The CHP, along with the Rialto and Colton police departments, launched a search for Banuelos, who was found around 12:30 a.m. Thursday at an abandoned golf course near the 400 block of North Pepper Avenue in Colton, authorities said.
The CHP did not say what crimes Banuelos will be charged with or what his arrest warrant was for.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, the CHP said. They ask any witnesses to contact them at 909-980-3994.
We need your support.
Subcribe to the Watchdog today.
The Long Beach Watchdog is owned by journalists, and paid for by readers like you. If independent, local reporting like the story you just read is important to you, support our work by becoming a subscriber.
