A man who allegedly shot his sister-in-law in Van Nuys and fired shots while leading police on a 90-minute chase the next day was scheduled to appear before a judge Friday to say how he pleads to a raft of charges.
Marcos Tulio Flores, 32, of Lake Balboa, is scheduled to be arraigned at the Van Nuys courthouse on one count each of attempted murder, making criminal threats, fleeing a pursuing peace officer’s motor vehicle while driving recklessly, possession of a firearm by a felon and discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, along with two counts of assault with a firearm.
Flores could face a maximum of 74 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The criminal complaint includes allegations that Flores used a handgun and inflicted great bodily injury on the 36-year-old sister of his estranged wife while threatening the family with a gun Sunday at their Van Nuys home.
Authorities said Flores led police on a chase late Monday night after officers began following his car, which matched the description of the one connected to the shooting. The pursuit came to an end after about 90 minutes, but a stretch of the San Diego (405) Freeway was closed for hours afterward, forcing thousands of motorists to find other routes.
During the televised stop-and-go chase, the driver allegedly gestured wildly out the window and sunroof, tossed items onto the freeway and fired his gun out the driver-side window. Police returned fire and shot out the rear window of the car, but the motorist kept going.
Flores was finally taken into custody on the southbound 405 in the Sepulveda Pass by SWAT officers who used a pit maneuver to stop the car, and beanbag rounds and a police dog to subdue him. He was taken to the hospital to be treated for a dog bite, but there were no reports of injuries to civilians or officers resulting from the chase, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
The southbound 405, from the Hollywood (101) Freeway interchange to Sunset Boulevard, remained closed until around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday while an investigation was conducted.
—City News Service