Man arrested after chase with shots fired near Joshua Tree

Officers arrested a man who allegedly shot at them at the end of a chase in Riverside County on Saturday, and began a lengthy manhunt until they finally found him.

The incident began at about 3:30 a.m. when officers from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department pursued the suspect, 20-year-old Jonathan Rodriguez, who was allegedly armed, according to a statement from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, which assisted in the case.

When Rodriguez reached the 60800 block of Mountain View Trail in Joshua Tree, he got out of his car and “subsequently fired several shots from a firearm,” the statement said.

None of the officers were injured in the incident, but Rodriguez was able to flee the area on foot and initiate a large-scale search operation.

He was finally found at around 2:20 p.m. in a house on Pueblo Trail, about four miles from where the pursuit ended.

“Rodriguez was arrested without incident,” officials said. “We would like to thank the residents and visitors of Joshua Tree for their patience and help in providing information during this investigation.”

Residents were asked to keep windows and doors locked during the search.

It remains unclear what incident prompted officers to pursue Rodriguez in the first place.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact the Criminal Investigation Department at (909) 387-8313.