3 teenagers among 4 dead after drunken chase ends in violent, fiery crash

Three of the four suspects killed in a chase in San Bernardino County that ended in a violent, fiery crash have been identified as teenagers, authorities confirmed to KTLA.

The June 28 chase near Foothill Boulevard and Archibald Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga began around 1:45 a.m. when San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officers attempted to stop a driver suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.

Authorities said a chase began when the driver of the black 2018 Hyundai failed to yield the right of way and sped away at a high rate of speed to elude officers.

The Ontario Police Aviation Unit assisted officers by tracking the suspect vehicle from the air.

Approximately six minutes after the pursuit began, the driver of the Hyundai, which was traveling on Route 16,^th Street in Upland and entered the intersection of Mountain Avenue, colliding with a white 2010 Ford Mustang that was not involved in the chase.

“The suspect vehicle then left the roadway and struck a pole,” said a press release from the SBSD. “During the collision, the suspect vehicle broke into three pieces and caught fire.”

Footage of the aftermath captured by Sky5 showed the debris field in and around the intersection, with parts of the Hyundai and Ford scattered everywhere.

Four of the five occupants of the Hyundai were killed in the accident.

Three of them were identified as 16-year-old Jesus Guillen Jr. of Fontana, 17-year-old Michael Adrian Gomez of Pomona and 16-year-old Joel Jeremiah Silva of Fontana.

A 13-year-old boy who was also in the Hyundai was taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to survive, authorities said.

The two victims in the Ford Mustang, a 35-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman, both from Ontario, were taken to hospital as a precaution.

“During the course of the investigation, officers discovered that the suspect’s vehicle had been reported stolen in Fontana and that a loaded firearm was found on one of the deceased,” the press release said.

According to official information, three parallel investigations are underway into this incident.

Detectives from the SBSD’s Rancho Cucamonga Station are investigating the chase while the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office is investigating the exact cause and manner of death of each suspect and positively identifying the fourth deceased person. The Upland Police Department is conducting a collision investigation.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact the SBSD’s Rancho Cucamonga Station at 909-477-2800. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call the WeTip hotline at 800-782-7463 or submit tips online at www.wetip.com.