Riverside County homicide suspect killed in police shooting on Newport Beach Pier as pursuit ends

A man wanted in connection with a homicide in Riverside County was shot and killed during an officer-involved shooting on the Newport Beach Pier after driving onto the pier while fleeing from police Saturday morning, authorities said. 

The man, whose identity has not been released by police, is suspected of committing a homicide in Menifee in the early morning, according to Santa Ana Police Department Officer Natalie Garcia, a spokeswoman for the agency. The pier will remain shut down for "several hours" as multiple law enforcement agencies respond, she said, calling the investigation "very complex."

At 6:10 a.m., Menifee Police Department officers asked Santa Ana police to assist in finding the suspect, whom they identified as 45-year-old Jose Velasquez, and taking him into custody, Garcia said. Officers responded to the 1400 block of Freeman Street in the city of Santa Ana and found him in a vehicle, she said, leading to a pursuit that traveled through multiple cities before ending on the pier 12 miles away. 

Video shows at least three patrol cars with sirens blaring following a silver Honda SUV onto the pier before the vehicle comes to a stop upon reaching the end. Shortly after, officers in at least two patrol cars get out and open fire, the video shows. 

Police have said the suspect was armed.

"It is my understanding that the suspect did exit the vehicle. He was armed with a firearm which was located at the scene," Garcia said. "That's when the officer-involved shooting occurred."

She said he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Circumstances surrounding the homicide that Velasquez was wanted in connection for were released later Saturday by Menifee police. 

They say that they arrived at a home in the 25000 block of Mesa Edge Court in Menifee just before 2:45 a.m. after receiving reports of gunfire in the area. They arrived to find 38-year-old Temecula woman Storm Wolf suffering from a deadly gunshot wound to the head inside of a pickup truck. 

Police say that suspect and victim were "acquaintances," but did not relay further information on their relationship.

No officers or bystanders were wounded in either incident, police said.

Newport Beach police shut down some roads in the area, which Garcia said helped to ensure no innocent bystanders were hurt. It's not clear how many people were on the Orange County pier at the time.

The reopening of the pier will be announced by the Newport Notified alert system, according to the Newport Beach Police Department.

Earlier, Santa Ana police said the chase ended on the Balboa Pier but law enforcement officials later clarified it was the Newport Beach Pier.