A man wanted in connection with a fatal shooting and robbery in Los Angeles earlier this year escaped from police on Friday after robbing an SUV – in the process allowing the vehicle’s owner to find his body more than two miles away, police said. He was dragged to death, the police said.
Joshua Renau, 31, a suspect in the July 29 San Fernando Valley murder and robbery, was under police surveillance on Friday when he jumped into the passenger seat of an SUV and fled, the LAPD said.
“The murder accused got away from the passenger’s side and robbed another vehicle,” police said in a statement. “The murder accused dragged the carjacking victim down Florence Avenue and Haas Avenue.”
The victim, who was tangled in his seatbelt, was dragged for more than two miles before being freed.
A woman on her way to pick up her children at an after-school event described the horrific scene.
“We just saw a car coming straight at us with a corpse hanging from below,” Tina Atkins told NBC Los Angeles. “I hit the curb with my kids in the car because I didn’t want them to hit me.”
The suspect eventually crashed the SUV, which overturned near Edward Vincent Jr. Park in the Inglewood area, but refused to exit and began a standoff with a SWAT team near a cemetery.
He gave up after about two hours and the unidentified owner of the SUV was found dead nearby.
According to the LAPD, Renau was wanted in connection with a murder during a robbery at a Reseda-area jewelry store where police shot two men at 12 a.m. on July 29, according to the LAPD.
The victims were treated and discharged from the local hospital.
Less than an hour later, police answered another call in Reseda and injured a victim with gunshot wounds, police said.
The victim, identified as 32-year-old Earl Hunter, was pronounced dead at the hospital.
“Valley Bureau homicide detectives responded to both crime scenes and through investigation it was discovered that the victims were confronted by three men,” police said in a statement.
“The two suspects were in handcuffs. One of the accused grabbed two big necklaces of the victim. During the incident, the victim was shot,” it added.
Police said the same suspects were involved in both the cases.
On Thursday, police arrested Derek Hall, 28, and Miracol Brown, 20, on charges of robbery and murder.
Later that day, detectives also identified and obtained a murder arrest warrant for Reneau.