Two Killed After SUV Slams Into Pole While Speeding From Scene Of Anaheim Shooting
ANAHEIM (CBSLA) – Two men speeding away from the scene of a shooting outside an Anaheim restaurant were killed when the SUV they were riding in slammed into a pole early Monday morning.
According to Anaheim police, at 12:10 a.m. officers were called to a shooting in the 1700 block of West La Palma Avenue, in the area of the El Cangrejo Nice restaurant.
Jose Medina told CBSLA he was on a break from work when he saw an argument start over a parking spot outside the restaurant. When security stepped in, someone pulled out a gun.
"For their safety, they (security) took out their pepper spray, so as soon as these guys saw that, they were like, 'oh yes, that's how this is going to go,'" Medina said. "And they just took out a gun, and they shot a couple ones. And then after that, we all ran different ways."
According to Medina, several shots were fired. No one was struck.
As officers arrived on scene, they saw a 2004 Chevrolet Blazer speeding away. The SUV ran several red lights before careening into a pole at the intersection of Brookhurst Street and La Palma Avenue, police said, about a mile from the shooting.
The two men in the Chevy died at the scene. They were not immediately identified. Police later confirmed to CBSLA that the passenger in the Chevy was the shooter. Several weapons were recovered from inside the SUV.
"When I arrived, a lot of glass on the floor, a lot of car parts on the floor...we've been cleaning up since seven in the morning, said Salim Merhi, who runs Best Auto Care, an auto repair shop located near the crash site.
Meanwhile, a man was detained in the parking lot of the restaurant. Police initially reported that the detained man may have been the shooter, but later disclosed that he was detained for reasons unrelated to the shooting.