Suspect identified in wild south Sacramento police chase. Police say he fired on officers

The suspect has been identified in a Wednesday night police chase in south Sacramento. The chase ended after the suspect, who police say was armed, barricaded himself in a neighborhood home before surrendering peacefully.

The suspect is 20-year-old Ismael Herrera-Mondello. He is detained at the Sacramento County Main Jail and faces felony charges including attempted murder on officers, burglary, possession of a loaded firearm and theft of a vehicle.

At 4:57 p.m. Wednesday, officers located a stolen vehicle in the area of 65th Street and Fruitridge Road, police said. When officers tried to perform a traffic stop, the driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, refused to stop, according to a Sacramento Police Department news release that came out nearly 24 hours after the event.

The pursuit lasted about 10 minutes, during which the driver shot at responding officers “multiple times” using a handgun, the news release said. There have been some reports that gunfire struck surrounding homes as well, officers said.

The suspect eventually drove onto a dead end in the area of 38th Avenue and Wallace Avenue, at which point he fled on foot into the surrounding neighborhood.

Officers said the suspect attempted to break into two homes and eventually entered a home after shooting through a glass door. An occupant of the home was present, but he fled and was uninjured. The suspect then remained inside the home and shot at officers surrounding the residence, the news release said.

Officers from the SWAT, crisis negotiation and unmanned aerial systems teams responded to the incident and used armored vehicles to access the home, despite facing gunfire. Around 8:30 p.m. the suspect exited the home with his hands raised and was taken into custody.

Throughout the incident, officers established a large perimeter around the Avondale neighborhood and Fruitridge Road. Officers asked residents within the perimeter to shelter in place, and evacuated some residents close to the suspect.

No officers or civilians were injured during the incident. The suspect sustained minor injuries, officers say.

Herrera-Mondello will appear before the Sacramento County Court at 3 p.m. Friday. He is charged with seven felonies and is ineligible for bail.

This story was originally published July 9, 2021 at 7:55 AM.