HESPERIA, Calif. (KABC) — A 15-year-old abducted girl and her father – a fugitive wanted in the shooting death of the teen’s mother – were killed in a shootout with sheriff’s deputies on Highway 15 in Hesperia on Tuesday, reports announced the authorities.
San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus told an afternoon news conference that Savannah Graziano was wearing tactical gear as she ran towards deputies as the shooting unfolded.
The teenager was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly before noon.
Authorities have not said whether the teenager was hit by bullets fired by her father or responding deputies.
Her father, Anthony John Graziano, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene. He allegedly killed his ex-wife in a domestic violence incident Monday in the town of Fontana.
WATCH: San Bernardino County sheriff provides update after murder suspect dies in shooting on 15 Fwy
Investigators had issued an Amber Alert after Graziano drove off with his daughter, Savannah, in a white 2017 Nissan Frontier with California plates. Graziano was described as armed and dangerous.
The sheriff’s department said it received a call Tuesday morning about a vehicle matching the description of the Amber Alert that was issued for the teenager on Monday. The call indicated the vehicle was traveling south on the Barstow Freeway.
Authorities caught up with the vehicle as it exited Main Street in Hesperia and there was an exchange of gunfire between a suspect and deputies. Witnesses to the shooting reported hearing a massive exchange of gunfire.
The deputies were in pursuit of the father’s van and several shots were fired through the rear window during the pursuit.
The vehicle broke down around Hesperia and the gunfight ensued. Dicus said the girl was wearing tactical gear as she exited the passenger side of a truck and ran towards sheriff’s deputies. Deputies initially didn’t realize it was the girl running towards them, Dicus said, because she was wearing a military-style helmet and vest that could hold armor plates.
Although the only gun found was in the truck with Graziano, detectives say it’s possible his daughter was also shooting.
“There may be information that the passenger was involved in shootings at MPs and we are still trying to confirm that at this stage,” Dicus said.
Tuesday’s crime scene prompted major backups along Interstate 15. Southbound 15 was closed at Main Street.
The search for Graziano began on Monday after his wife was shot and killed near an elementary school in Fontana, sparking panic among nearby parents and school children. At the time, the suspect was believed to be with his daughter.
“The man just came down the street shooting. He started shooting in that direction,” neighborhood resident Andy Davis told Eyewitness News on Monday. “Hit those trees, those houses across the street. They say the bullets were jumping in the street and the woman was trying to save her life, and unfortunately she was hit. Once she was hit , I guess he shot her a few other times.”
An Amber Alert was issued for the teenager shortly after the murder, but according to the California Highway Patrol, the alert has since been deactivated.
Romero said Graziano was a resident of Fontana, but investigators learned he previously lived in Arizona.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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