A man who allegedly shot at a Santa Maria police officer on Saturday has been taken into custody in Southern California, police Lt. Jesse Silva said Monday.
Dustin Morales, 27, had been sought since an encounter with officers as they responded to an unrelated domestic disturbance at 3:30 p.m. Saturday on the 200 block of East Grant Street.
One of the officers saw a man known to be wanted for charges unrelated to the domestic disturbance, Silva said.
When the officer attempted to detain the subject, a physical altercation ensued.
“During the altercation, the suspect pulled a handgun and shot at the officer,” Silva said,
The officer was not injured and did not discharge his firearm, Silva added.
The suspect, identified as Morales, then fled the area on foot and allegedly stole a vehicle at gunpoint later, Santa Maria police said.
Police had warned that Morales should be considered armed and dangerous since he was wanted for both attempted murder and carjacking.
On Monday evening, Silva said the suspect had been contacted by California Highway Patrol officers in Southern California and was arrested.
Additional details about his arrest were not immediately available.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.