Man with a Gun Shoots a Motorist and Leads Deputy on a Pursuit before Crashing his Car and being taken into Custody
DATE/TIME: Thursday, March 9, 2022 / 11:40 p.m.
INCIDENT: PC 664/187 Attempt Murder, PC 211 Robbery, PC 246.3(a) Negligent Discharge of a Firearm
LOCATION: Morongo Basin / Yucca Valley / Joshua Tree
SUSPECT(S): Guillermo Juan Cantu, 43-Year-Old Male, Resident of Beverly Hills
VICTIM(S): Confidential
SUMMARY: On Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at 11:49 p.m., Deputies from the Morongo Basin Station responded to a call at the Travelodge Motel, located in the 54000 block of Twentynine Palms Highway, for a man with a gun. The male suspect, later identified as Guillermo Juan Cantu, was in the lobby of the motel and brandished a firearm at an employee. Before deputies arrived at the motel, Cantu fled the location in a white Chevrolet Corvette. Around the same time Cantu left the motel, Sheriff’s Dispatch received several calls for service reference gunshots heard in the surrounding area near the motel. Deputies arrived and checked the surrounding area for Cantu but were unable to locate him or evidence of a shooting.
On Thursday, March 10, 2022, at 12:02 a.m., deputies responded to a call at the Shell gas station, located in the 56000 block of Twentynine Palms Highway, for a man with a gun. Cantu entered the Shell gas station, brandished a firearm at the employee, and demanded the fuel pumps be turned on so he could fill his vehicle with gas. The employee refused to turn on the gas pumps and Cantu fled the location prior to the deputies’ arrival.
At 12:07 a.m., Deputy S. Crowl located Cantu’s vehicle traveling east bound on Twentynine Palms Highway at a high rate of speed. Crowl attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, but Cantu refused to yield, and a pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, Cantu fired several rounds at random vehicles on the roadway as he passed them. To end the pursuit quickly, deputies deployed a spike strip at Twentynine Palms Highway and White Feather Road, which was successful. Cantu lost control of his vehicle, crashed into a desert field near Dorth Place, and the vehicle burst into flames. Cantu crawled from the vehicle and fled on foot. Deputies immediately set up a perimeter to contain Cantu. A Sheriff’s Department tracking canine was called to the location and tracked Cantu to a hillside where he was hiding. The Specialized Enforcement Division (S.E.D.) was deployed and arrested Cantu without further incident.
At this time, one victim has been found to have been shot by Cantu during the pursuit. The victim was transported to Hi Desert Medical Center and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Cantu was transported and booked into West Valley Detention Center for PC 664/187 Attempted Murder, PC 211 Robbery, PC 264.3(a) Negligent Discharge of a Firearm, and CVC 2800.2 Failure to Yield, with a bail amount set at $1,000,000.00.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to contact Detective Shaunna Ables at 760-366-4175. Callers who wish to remain anonymous are urged to call the We Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or anyone may leave their information on a We Tip Hotline at www.Wetip.com
Refer: Detective Shaunna Ables
Station: Morongo Basin Station
Phone No. 760-366-4175
Case No. 232200475
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department
Address/Location
SBSD - Morongo Basin Sheriff's Department
63665 Twentynine Palms Highway
Joshua Tree, CA 92252
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1