Deputies led on wild chase that includes crashes, carjacking, kidnapping

 

 

A 30-year-old Chatsworth man was in custody Friday night in Santa Clarita after a dramatic string of crimes involving a stabbing, an assault, a carjacking, a kidnapping, another auto theft, multiple car crashes and resisting arrest, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

Authorities said the chain of events started about 5:50 p.m. when Aaron Clay Tanner allegedly stabbed his mother multiple times and pushed her out of their car on the 14 Freeway at the interchange with the 5 Freeway, near Mission Hills.

Tanner then drove north on the 14 and exited at the Newhall Avenue off-ramp in Newhall, authorities said. At the bottom of the off-ramp, he reportedly crashed into another vehicle in a park-and-ride lot. About 6 p.m., a witness called the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station to report the hit-and-run. Deputies soon arrived and a woman told them that she had been assaulted and that her PT Cruiser had been carjacked, with her 4-year-old son inside.

A deputy spotted the PT Cruiser about four miles away, where the suspect had crashed it near Carl Boyer Avenue and Golden Valley Road in Canyon Country. The suspect had rear-ended another vehicle and then backed into a tree, disabling the PT Cruiser.

As the deputy hurried to help the child, the suspect got out of the car, circled around and stole the deputy’s car, the Sheriff’s Department said. The deputy immediately alerted other patrol deputies and a nearby Sheriff’s Department helicopter.

Near Newhall Ranch and Santa Clarita roads in Saugus, deputies pursuing the suspect saw him drive at a high rate of speed to the end of a cul-de-sac. He crashed the patrol car head-on into a 4-foot block wall, went over an embankment and dropped about 100 feet. The car rolled several times and came to rest at the bottom, where it caught on fire.

As the deputies rushed to reach the suspect and the burning radio car, they saw the suspect reaching for a shotgun that had become dislodged in the vehicle. The deputies tussled with the suspect, eventually using a Taser to subdue him. The suspect bit several deputies on their legs and hands as they tried to handcuff him.

“Numerous people are being medically treated because of the suspect’s outrageously violent actions,” said Capt. Mike Parker of the sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau. “A lot of cars were damaged, but more than anything else we are concerned about all the adults and child who were injured, and hope they all come out of this OK.”

The child, who received minor injuries, was treated by doctors and released. His mother was being treated at a hospital for injuries to her face. The mother and child are residents of Palmdale.

The mother of the suspect was stabbed multiple times in her upper body, but preliminary reports were that her injuries were not life-threatening. She also lives in Chatsworth. All other victims are residents of Santa Clarita Valley.

Tanner was hospitalized in serious condition. The Sheriff’s Department said he would be booked on charges of attempted murder, kidnapping, carjacking, attempted carjacking, auto theft, assault with a deadly weapon, evading arrest, and felony hit-and-run with injuries. His bail amount was expected to be about $500,000.

-- Martha Groves

Comments

[tulsadave]

Fortunately for the suspect, he was not holding a water nozzle. Otherwise, the police would have shot him to death.

[My opinon means nothing]

WOW! What was this guy wacked out on?

[mark]

bummer they didn't shoot him.

[Buck]

Interesting how sheriff deputies still managed to taser the guy while he was reaching for a the shotgun... yet in Long Beach, the police dept. drop 20 rounds into a drunk guy, sitting on a stoop, holding a hose nozzle. Guess the best advice is to get crazy in Canyon Country.

[Eric of Reseda]

Bail?!?

[Momto2Munchkins]

Hope his injuries do him in!!

[tootsy]

wow!!! reading this is like seeing a movie in your mind. I know this is real and scary, but it's funny in a silly way. Specially when he stole the sheriffs patrol car.

[Dana Campfield]

It's going to be very difficult for him to ever top a day like that. What an accomplishment! I mean, one or two crimes for someone in one day is normal but this! Nine crimes in the span of one evening has got to be some kind of a record. I am going to start a collection so we can have a parade or some kind of tribute for this guy. Has anyone called Guiness? Of course after we spend our tax money supporting him with food, medical and dental while he spends the rest of his life in jail I guess is reward enough.

[allenhagopian]

Why wont the times tell us the race of the criminal? AH

[tootsy]

wow!! this is what movies are made of. This Tanner guy must of been high on something. It's kind of funny in a morbid kind of way. I do feel for the mom that was stabbed, and the little boy. But you do have to admit, stealing the sheriffs car really makes it for a comedy movie.

[Drugs are evil!]

this Tanner dude is an obvious Meth-head!
... years ago they would have shot him down like the dog he is ...
welcome to 3rd World America!

[Warren]

What a chase! Odd to read that the cops tasered the guy when he was trying to get to the shoot gun. Can't want to see this guy's pic.

[Cougo]

Update; His family posted bail and he just strangled a baby,raped a nun,and is headed North in the Sherrif's heliocopter with 5 girl scouts.

[Bob Johnson]

The shot that never came - just another wasted law enforcement opportunity to rid us of one more rabid loser.

[David]

The sheriffs and deputies acted professionally and capably and to top it off nobody was seriously hurt. I'd prefer the loss of a police car to avoid the death of a child anytime, the deputy should be commended for going straight to the kid.

Its amazing, the diversity of inane comments posted. To all you you who post angry and useless comments, stop. Nobody enjoys reading them.

[Ronald Romsfeld]

Funny how some people with throw their entire life away because they are unable to control their anger during an argument.

When they issue this dude his sentence, he won't have enough time to give.

He just experienced his last day as a free man. When he reaches 40 years of age in the joint, he will wake up one morning and experience an epiphany........this really wasn't worth it.

[bree]

& after he did all this, the police didnt shoot him? but in long beach they shoot a man sitting on a porch drunk holding a water nossle with 27 bullets??? wow

[sam russell]

uncle vito is an idiot. how can anyone spin this story into an " obama economy" comment?
sounds like another idiot that voted for bush and needs someone else to blame for what he left behind

ps....what an intense story! hope everyone is ok and that this NEVER happens again

[PC]

In the city of Long Beach, this guy would've been long dead by now.

[Ron Burk]

Deputies are always shooting innocent people but for the first time I'm in agreement, they should have shot this madman when he stole the police cruiser! And yes, crystal meth is the culprit! Anyone who ever had friends on it knows: during a binge, IT'S LIKE THE DEVIL COMES UP IN YOU AND YOU GO INSANE!

[Stone]

If he was black or hispanic, we would be talking about a dead man right now.

[r.c.]

Don't rush to judgement and criticize the deputies for not shooting him. Remember, you weren't there. You don't know what the backdrop was of potential crossfire was. These guys are highly trained and believe me, if the shot was available, they would have blown him away.

[junky0205]

I was hoping that his car went down to the ditch or explode.

Now we have to pay for his room and board and meals.

[Gpers]

Obviously just another illegal alien with a name change.

[Theword]

They should have beat the living crap out of that sewer scum.