Fontana Man Kills Women, and Dies in Shooting Standoff

Forum Gawd Sat Oct 04, 2014 6:48 pm

A 33-year-old Fontana man shot a woman before being killed by a deputy following a lengthy standoff at a Highland residence on Oct. 1, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Rafael Mejia had taken the woman, Rosa Mejia, 27, and her two small children hostage during the incident in the 7000 block of Osbun Road. Rosa Mejia later died at a hospital, but the children were not injured.

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The Sheriff's Department gave this account of the incident:
At about 1:17 p.m., deputies from the Highland Station responded to the report of an unwanted person at a residence in Highland. The reporting party received a call from his wife that a cousin (Rafael Mejia, the suspect) was inside their home threatening to shoot her and their two small children. The reporting party stated the suspect was armed with a shotgun.
Deputies arrived at the residence and located the suspect inside the home. Deputies, from outside the home, repeatedly talked to the suspect, trying to get him to exit the home safely. The suspect repeatedly threatened to shoot the hostages and made threats to the deputies. Deputies were able to see that the suspect had a shotgun.
Deputies contacted the Specialized Enforcement Division, requesting the assistance of SWAT. SWAT personnel arrived at the location and continued negotiations with the suspect in English and Spanish. The suspect refused to peacefully leave the home and continued to threaten the hostages as well as the deputies.
Then a deputy-involved shooting occurred, and the suspect was struck and pronounced deceased at the scene.
SWAT personnel made entry into the back door of the residence and located Rosa Mejia, who was suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. She was transported to a local area hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries. The gunshot wound suffered by the victim is consistent with the weapon that the suspect had in his possession.
The children were immediately given to medical personnel on scene and then were reunited with their father.
Investigators from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Detail responded to the scene and were conducting the investigation, which is ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to contact Detective Ed DeLaTorre or Sergeant Scott Landen at(909) 387-3589. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or leave information on the We-Tip website at www.wetip.com.