A father and son were held at gunpoint in Encinitas Monday as a man on the run from deputies carjacked their vehicle and led officials on a high-speed pursuit. The gunman was eventually shot by a deputy and taken into custody, the San Diego Sheriff's Department (SDSO) confirmed.
Joseph Ramos, 35, was spotted on Orchard Wood Road after deputies got reports of a residential burglary around 2:30 p.m., according to SDSO Lt. Ken Nelson.
Ramos was a documented gang member who was wanted on a felony warrant in connection with a string of burglaries involving stolen guns, Nelson said.
"They saw him acting suspiciously and believed he may be getting ready to commit another residential burglary, so they tried to intercede," Nelson said, speaking of the deputies who had attempted to stop Ramos.
When deputies attempted to make an arrest, Ramos took off in his truck, leading them on a pursuit. Due to dangerous speeds and road conditions, SDSO called off the pursuit and followed Ramos from a distance.
Ramos abandoned his truck at Rancho Sante Fe Road and Manchester Avenue and carjacked a two-door Scion in a nearby parking lot. A 27-year old man was buckling his seven-year old son into a backseat when he was forced to drive off, deputies said.
Nelson told NBC 7 that Ramos led deputies on a pursuit onto North Coast Highway 101, driving for about 12 miles before being stopped by a deputy. The pursuit ended on the 1500 block of Leucadia Boulevard near N Vulcan Avenue. The car stopped in front of Bar Leucadian where Ramos got out and allegedly pointed a gun at the deputy.
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The deputy then fired several rounds at Ramos, hitting him twice. Ramos suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital.
"He came out of the passenger side of the vehicle and took off running. A sheriff's deputy came out, was yelling, telling him to stop," said Jennifer Cushing.
She told NBC 7 she witnessed the incident from about 30 feet away while she was out delivering pizza at Bar Leucadian.
"He was kind of flipping from his stomach to his back," Cushing said, describing the moments after Ramos was shot. "He was yelling cuss words and he was shouting at the top of his lungs."
SDSO says Ramos will be booked into jail once he is released from the hospital.
Nelson said the carjacking victim and his son were scared but unhurt.
Carlsbad Police issued a traffic alert for the area around 3:45 p.m. southbound Carlsbad Boulevard at La Costa Avenue was shut down.
TRAFFIC ALERT - Southbound Carlsbad Blvd closed at La Costa Ave due to incident in Encinitas, please choose alternate route.
— Carlsbad Police (@CarlsbadPolice) October 24, 2016
The North County Transit also issued a service alert, saying there would up to a two-hour delay for the Coaster. Service between Poinsettia Lane and Encinitas Boulevard was suspended.
Just after 5 p.m., the Coaster was back in service, heading to Poinsettia Station where a bus then departed to Encinitas.
Employees at an Autozone on Leucadia Boulevard told NBC 7 they did not see the incident, but saw a "flood" of deputies rush by.
Detectives from the San Diego Homicide Detail and SDSO are investigating the incident.
No other information was immediately available.
