Christopher
Dorner, the former LAPD officer wanted in 3 killings, was engaged in a
shootout with federal authorities in the Big Bear area Tuesday, a law
enforcement source told the LA Times.
Christopher Dorner was engaged in a shootout with federal
authorities in the Big Bear area Tuesday, a law enforcement source told The
Times.
The shooting occurred after Dorner burglarized
a home, tied up a couple and stole their car, the source said.
It was not immediately clear whether Dorner was in custody.
PHOTOS: Manhunt for ex-LAPD officer
A second source said there was an active crime scene but did not have details.
Law enforcement officials were swarming the area.
U.S. Marshal's officials said in court papers that Dorner could have
fled to Mexico. In Tijuana, Dorner was listed as one of the most wanted
fugitives. But LAPD Lt. Andy Neiman said that was only one of many
locations authorities were considering.
DOCUMENT: Read the manifesto
Neiman said detectives were examining video that might show Dorner
purchasing scuba gear at a Sport Chalet store in Torrance days before
his alleged killing spree began.
Law enforcement sources told The Times that officials have confirmed
the man in the video is Dorner. He spent $5 to $10 to fill up a scuba
tank, the sources said. Investigators have also reviewed store receipts.
Officers have crisscrossed California pursuing tips about Dorner's
possible whereabouts and serving warrants at homes in Las Vegas and
Point Loma.
FULL COVERAGE: Sweeping manhunt for ex-cop
Meanwhile, an associate of Dorner was being tracked by investigators,
according to court records that suggest Dorner may have received help
as he eluded a massive law enforcement dragnet.
Dorner, 33, a former LAPD officer, has evaded authorities since
Wednesday night when he was named as the suspect in the slaying of an
Irvine couple, a crime that preceded a wave of violence.
A criminal complaint filed in federal court raises the possibility that
Dorner may have been assisted by an associate identified as "J.Y."
DOCUMENT: Read the manifesto
Statewide alerts have been issued in California and Nevada, and
border authorities have been alerted.
The Transportation Security
Administration also issued an alert urging pilots and other aircraft
operators to keep an eye out for Dorner.
The search turned to Big Bear last week after Dorner's burning truck was found on a local forest road.
At the search's height, more than 200 officers scoured the mountain,
conducting cabin-by-cabin checks. It has since been scaled back: About
30 officers were involved Monday and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's
Department said about the same number would be out again Tuesday.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Searching for suspected shooter
"The search for Christopher Dorner will continue until he has been
apprehended or it has been determined that he is no longer on the
mountain," San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said Tuesday.
Authorities also asked residents in the Big Bear area with security
cameras at their homes to review any video recorded after midnight Feb. 7
to see if images of Dorner had been captured.
A criminal complaint filed in federal court raised the possibility
that Dorner may have been assisted by "a known associate" -- identified
only as "J.Y." -- with a family member who owns a property in the San
Bernardino Mountains. The exact relationship between Dorner and J.Y. was
not detailed in the document.
DOCUMENT: Feds say Dorner may have fled to Mexico
The court records also provide new details as to why federal
authorities developed "probable cause" that Dorner may have been trying
to flee to Mexico as the law enforcement authorities were widening their
dragnet.
Dorner allegedly attempted to steal a boat in San Diego and, after
subduing the captain, said he was taking the vessel to Mexico, according
to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint in federal court in
Los Angeles. Dorner is accused of telling the captain that he could
recover his boat in Mexico.
"The attempt failed when the bow line of the boat became caught in
the boat's propeller, and the suspect fled," according to the affidavit
by U.S. Marshals Service Inspector Craig McClusky.
After authorities interviewed the boat captain early Thursday, they
found Dorner's wallet and identification cards "at the San Ysidro Point
of Entry" near the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the court records.
That same day, a guard at the Point Loma Naval Base told authorities he
had spotted a man matching Dorner's description trying sneak onto the
base, the records said.
Federal authorities told The Times on Monday night that the court
papers reflected their thinking at the time, but they stressed that
Dorner could be anywhere.
A Tijuana hotel was searched Monday after Mexican authorities
received vague information Dorner might be in the area, sources familiar
with the investigation said. Dorner was not found, they said.
Dorner allegedly threatened "unconventional and asymmetrical warfare"
against police in a lengthy manifesto that authorities say he posted on
Facebook. The posting named dozens of potential targets, including
police officers, that Dorner allegedly threatened to attack, according
to authorities.
The records state that the manifesto was discovered by authorities
Wednesday, three days after the slaying of the two Irvine victims:
Monica Quan, a Cal State Fullerton assistant basketball coach, and her
fiance, Keith Lawrence, a USC public safety officer.
Quan was the daughter of a retired LAPD captain whom Dorner allegedly blamed in part for his firing from the force in 2009.
The federal documents also provide new details on Dorner's alleged attack against officers early Thursday in Riverside County.
The first shooting was in Corona after an eyewitness reported a
person matching Dorner's description at a gas station, telling an LAPD
officer "who was detailed to the area to protect one of the officials
whom Dorner had threatened," according to the court records.
"When the officer drove by the gas station, the suspect exited his
vehicle and fired an assault rifle at the officer, hitting the officer's
vehicle," according to the court records.
The LAPD later said the officer received a grazing wound.
About 30 minutes later, Dorner opened fire on Riverside police
officers "who were in the area searching for Dorner," the documents
said. On that detail, the account conflicts with a statement provided to
the media by Riverside police officials, who said the officers were
stopped at a red light and were not looking for Dorner.
Riverside Officer Michael Crain, 34, a married father of two who
served two tours in Kuwait as a rifleman in the Marines, was killed in
the attack. His partner remains hospitalized, Police Chief Sergio Diaz
said, and it was unclear if he would be able to return to active duty.
Dorner was charged Monday with one count of murder, with
special-circumstance allegations in the killing of a peace officer and
the discharge of a firearm from a vehicle, in connection with Crain's
death. He faces three additional charges of attempted murder.
Riverside Dist. Atty. Paul Zellerbach said because of the
special-circumstance allegations, Dorner could be eligible for the death
penalty if convicted.
ALSO:
Dorner surrounded by police in cabin after gun battle
Dorner gun battle: 2 officers shot, 'deputies are everywhere'
2 officers hurt in Big Bear shootout with Dorner, officials say
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