6 Killed in Southern California Police Pursuits This Week

Tragic incidents highlight risks of high-speed chases to innocent bystanders

Apr. 3, 2026 at 4:54am

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An extreme close-up photograph of a shattered car windshield against a pitch-black background, capturing the stark, gritty aftermath of a high-speed pursuit that claimed multiple lives.The aftermath of a deadly police pursuit underscores the tragic toll on innocent lives.Los Angeles Today

Six innocent people, including an unborn baby, were killed in three separate police pursuits across Orange and Los Angeles counties this week. The incidents involved a domestic violence suspect in Pomona, a stolen U-Haul van in San Clemente, and a teen driver in Anaheim, raising questions about the necessity of some pursuits and the policies governing them.

Why it matters

These tragic deaths underscore the dangers that high-speed police chases can pose to the public, even when officers are trying to apprehend dangerous suspects. The cases have reignited debates over pursuit policies and whether the risks to innocent lives outweigh the need to immediately arrest fleeing criminals.

The details

In the Pomona incident, a domestic violence suspect intentionally crashed into a patrol car, leading to a chase that ended with the deaths of the suspect's pregnant girlfriend and her boyfriend. In San Clemente, a woman was killed and three others critically injured when a suspect in a stolen U-Haul van crashed into their SUV. And in Anaheim, a 70-year-old man and a teenager died when a teen driver being pursued for erratic driving ran a red light.

  • On Monday morning, a woman in San Clemente died after a suspect in a stolen U-Haul van crashed into her SUV.
  • On Tuesday morning, a 70-year-old man and a teenager died in Anaheim when a teen driver ran a red light while being pursued by police.
  • On Wednesday night, Marc Anthony Trejo and his pregnant girlfriend, Jennifer Alejandra Loera Zarco, died in Pomona after a domestic violence suspect tried to get away from police.

The players

Marc Anthony Trejo

A Pomona resident who died along with his pregnant girlfriend in a police pursuit.

Jennifer Alejandra Loera Zarco

Trejo's pregnant girlfriend who died in the Pomona police pursuit.

Tony Trejo

The father of Marc Anthony Trejo, who expressed grief over the loss of his son and unborn grandchild.

Patrick O'Malley

A retired Pomona Police Department sergeant who discussed the factors officers consider during pursuits.

Dale Galipo

An attorney who has represented families of victims killed or injured during police chases.

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What they’re saying

“It hits different when it's your own son and I really don't have the words for it, but I don't wish this on anybody. They were so excited. They had plans, they had projects. They were both very artistic, Jennifer and Marc, and yeah... that's where the story ends.”

— Tony Trejo, Father of Marc Anthony Trejo

“If you really look at them case by case, some of the pursuits are totally unnecessary. They're putting innocent members of the public at risk of being injured or killed.”

— Dale Galipo, Attorney

“But in a situation like the Pomona one, you make the call: It's too dangerous to continue, [then] he circles back around, and he kills everybody in the house. Now, whose fault is it? The officers and the supervisors are trying to make these split-second decisions with the information that they have.”

— Patrick O'Malley, Retired Pomona Police Department Sergeant

What’s next

Departments across Southern California are constantly reviewing and adjusting their pursuit policies based on public safety concerns raised by these incidents.

The takeaway

These tragic deaths underscore the need for law enforcement agencies to carefully weigh the risks to innocent lives against the need to apprehend fleeing suspects, and to continuously evaluate and update their pursuit policies to prioritize public safety.