SAN DIEGO — A fugitive wanted in connection with two shootings within the last month was fatally shot by SWAT officers on Tuesday morning during a standoff at San Diego High School.
Christopher Marquez was shot by two SWAT officers at San Diego High School on Park Boulevard. SDPD Lieutenant Dobbs said that the officers shot Marquez, who was seen carrying a rifle, after he pushed a woman he was holed up with in a dumpster to the ground and she began screaming.
Dobbs said the officers shot Marquez to prevent him from harming the woman. Marquez was pronounced dead at the scene and the unidentified woman was uninjured.
“The female had been trying to escape the dumpster,” said Dobbs. “She was pulled back in on several occasions. The latest of those, she began screaming, begging for the male not to shoot her. Not to do this. Two officers say the male pushed the female toward the ground and could see a rifle being brought up, prompting them both to fire their weapons.”
The incident began at about 8:15 p.m. Monday, when two National City police officers in a patrol vehicle spotted Marquez in a vehicle on Paradise Valley Road near South Woodman Street, in San Diego's Bay Terraces area just east of National City, National City Police Capt. Alex Hernandez said.
The vehicle's driver failed to yield and police began pursuing the vehicle, Hernandez said.
At one point during the pursuit, someone inside the suspect vehicle fired one shot out of the back window at pursuing law enforcement vehicles near Nimitz and Point Loma boulevards in Ocean Beach, according to Officer John Buttle of the San Diego Police Department. Someone inside the vehicle opened fire on law enforcement officers again near state Route 163 and 10th Avenue in downtown San Diego, police said.
The pursuit lasted until 8:45 p.m., when the suspect vehicle stopped on the football field of Balboa Stadium on the San Diego High School campus, located on Park Boulevard, Buttle said.
Shots were fired at officers a third time near the San Diego High School campus and one National City police officer returned fire, Hernandez said.
“He shot at officers last night,” said Hernandez. “He shot at our officer a week ago. He shot at a bail bondsman. He's a very dangerous person.”
No officers were injured during the pursuit and it was not immediately clear if Marquez or anyone inside the fleeing vehicle were struck by the return fire, he added.
Marquez and the unidentified woman he was with then ran onto the high school's campus and holed up in a dumpster, Buttle said.
The San Diego Unified School District announced Tuesday morning that classes for San Diego High School, East Village Middle College High School and Garfield High School would take place online because of the ongoing standoff. San Diego City College also announced that its classes would take place online Tuesday.
Marquez was wanted for allegedly shooting and wounding a private investigator last month in Chula Vista and allegedly shooting at National City police officers last week.
The first shooting happened March 15 at a home on East J Street near Arroyo Place in Chula Vista, according to Chula Vista police. During that incident, Marquez allegedly shot a bounty hunter who went to the house attempting to apprehend Marquez on a felony warrant.
The victim in that shooting was treated for non-life-threatening bullet wounds.
The shooting outside the Chula Vista home led to a 10-hour police standoff that ended when SWAT officers stormed the residence and found it unoccupied. Marquez has remained at large since.
A few weeks later, in the early morning on April 5, National City police officers found a stolen car in the drive-thru of a Jack in the Box on Roosevelt Avenue near Seventh Street, according to National City police. Officers surrounded the restaurant and its parking lot before trying to make contact with three people inside the vehicle, but a passenger -- allegedly Marquez -- got out and ran.
Marquez then allegedly opened fire on pursuing officers as he ran onto the on-ramp from East Seventh Street to northbound Interstate 5, police said. Two officers returned fire, but neither the officers nor Marquez was injured in the shootout.
National City police said last week that Marquez was wanted on felony warrants for auto theft, hit-and-run, evading arrest and obstructing police.
Watch: SDPD gives general update on SWAT standoff in downtown