A Long Beach man has been formally charged in the death of an innocent bystander who was hit and killed by the suspect’s vehicle as he fled law enforcement in San Bernardino County earlier this week.
Noe Armando Banuelos, 32, also faces misdemeanor charges for escaping police custody.
Banuelos was arrested on Wednesday after he allegedly led law enforcement on a high-speed chase that came to an abrupt end when his vehicle crashed into the innocent motorist’s.
Richard Pshock, 64, identified by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office as a United States Air Force veteran, was killed in the collision.
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An innocent motorist was allegedly killed by a driver in white Jeep Cherokee fleeing the CHP in Fontana on Sept. 4, 2024. (KNN News) -
An innocent motorist was allegedly killed by a driver in white Jeep Cherokee fleeing the CHP in Fontana on Sept. 4, 2024. (KNN News) -
An innocent motorist was allegedly killed by a driver in white Jeep Cherokee fleeing the CHP in Fontana on Sept. 4, 2024. (KNN News) -
An innocent motorist was allegedly killed by a driver in white Jeep Cherokee fleeing the CHP in Fontana on Sept. 4, 2024. (KNN News) -
An innocent motorist was allegedly killed by a driver in white Jeep Cherokee fleeing the CHP in Fontana on Sept. 4, 2024. (KNN News)
The chase began earlier in the day when Banuelos’ white Jeep Cherokee was stopped by a California Highway Patrol trooper. Banuelos initially pulled over and cooperated during the stop, but when it was revealed he was wanted on a federal arrest warrant out of Tennessee, he took off in an attempt to avoid capture.
After leaving the freeway in Fontana, the Jeep collided with Pshock’s Ford Mustang in the intersection of Beech and Cherry avenues.
Video from the scene showed the carnage of the violent crash, both vehicles sustaining major front end damage.
Banuelos, suffering injuries from the crash, attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment; Pshock was declared dead at the scene.
At some point during Banuelos’ transfer from hospital to jail, he managed to escape, which led to a multi-agency manhunt that ended around 12:30 a.m. Thursday when he was found at an abandoned golf course. Video from the scene showed Banuelos in his tattered hospital clothes as he was being taken back into custody.
On Friday, Banuelos appeared in a San Bernardino County courtroom to be formally charged in Pshock’s death. He was charged with felony charges of DUI manslaughter and hit-and-run resulting in death, as well as the misdemeanor escape charge.
He also faces special allegations related to the crash and his alleged fleeing, as well as for being a felon with a previous first degree burglary conviction out of Los Angeles County.
Banuelos is being held without bail at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.