A Southern California man suspected of kidnapping and murder was shot and wounded by police officers from Anaheim Thursday in Old Town San Diego.
Officials with the Anaheim Police Department (APD) shot suspect Luke Lampers, 35, just after midnight at a California Department of Transportation parking lot in the 4000 block of Taylor Street. After a short foot chase, officials said a detective fired two shots at Lampers, striking him once.
Lampers was arrested and taken to a San Diego-area hospital with non-life threatening injuries, APD Sgt. Daron Wyatt said. He is expected to survive.
Because the officer-involved shooting happened in San Diego, that part of the incident is being investigated by the San Diego Police Department (SDPD).
Lampers is the suspect in a Jan. 11 murder at the Crystal Inn Motel on West Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim, California. That day, investigators said Lampers got into an altercation at the motel with his ex-girlfriend, Brianne Deese, 23.
Douglas Navarro, 49, an employee at the Crystal Inn Motel stepped in to help Deese and Lampers pulled a gun on Navarro, shooting and killing him, according to police.
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Lampers is accused of then kidnapping Deese at gunpoint and fleeing to an Easy 8 Motel in San Diego.
Since then, APD Sgt. Daron Wyatt said homicide detectives have been "engaged in an exhaustive effort" to find Deese and bring her home safe.
SDPD Capt. Brian Ahearn told NBC 7 police in San Diego were informed by APD detectives Wednesday that Lampers was possibly in the San Diego area – likely near the Midway District. Ahearn said SDPD detectives were able to confirm Wednesday that someone resembling Lampers entered a business in the Midway District.
On Wednesday evening, APD investigators received information from the kidnapping victim’s family that she was in San Diego, asking for help. Deese managed to escape from Lampers to call her father to report her whereabouts, saying she was somewhere near Interstate 5 and Clairemont Drive. Her father passed along that information to police.
Anaheim police and SDPD officers conducted surveillance on an Easy 8 Motel in Old Town where Lampers was suspected to be staying. Police believed he was armed with a gun.
Just after midnight Thursday, APD officers spotted Lampers driving a stolen car at that location. SDPD investigators said Lampers realized police were on his tail and he pulled into the parking lot in Old Town, got out of the car and began to run.
A short foot pursuit ensued. As Lampers rounded a corner, another APD detective fired two rounds at the suspect, hitting him.
Wyatt said a firearm was found near the location where Lampers was shot and taken into custody.
Ahearn said detectives from multiple agencies would remain at the scene of the shooting in Old Town throughout Thursday, as the investigation is complex. He said there are several witnesses that need to be interviewed at the scene.
No other officers were involved in the shooting. No one else was wounded. Ahearn said APD officers were wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting. Homicide detectives with the SDPD will investigate the shooting.
Deese is safe, police said. She is currently at APD headquarters being interviewed by detectives, Wyatt said. After the interviews, she's expected go home with her father.
Wyatt said that once Lampers is released from the hospital, he will be booked into jail in Orange County on several counts, including kidnapping and murder.
