No injuries were reported after gunfire rang out at a restaurant in Anaheim early Monday, Feb. 21, but two people in an SUV suspected of fleeing the scene died after it slammed into a pole.
The crash happened shortly after police received a call about shots fired at El Cangrejo Nice, 1739 W. La Palma Ave. at 12:12 a.m., Anaheim police Sgt. Shan Carringer said. When security at the restaurant denied entry to a group of three men in their 30s, one of them produced a handgun and fired several rounds.
“The restaurant gets a lot of business because it stays open late,” Carringer said. “It would have been packed on a weekend night.”
More than a dozen witnesses said they saw the three men flee to two vehicles, Carringer said. The gunman and one other person got into a black SUV that left the restaurant’s parking lot just as officers arrived, Carringer said.
The third was stopped before he could leave and detained, Carringer said. He was released after investigators learned he was not responsible for the shooting and had only recently met the two other men.
The other two had caused disturbances at the restaurant before, Carringer said.
The SUV they sped away in ran a red light at Brookhurst Street and La Palma Avenue, then struck a traffic signal pole on the northwest corner. Both men were killed almost instantly, Carringer said.
The engine bay and front half of the vehicle’s passenger compartment were smashed and split open, as seen in footage captured by OnScene TV. The pole it struck was still standing, wedged against the back seats and jutting out of the SUV’s roof.
Source: Orange County Register
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