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Roberto Salgado Cazares

Age : 39

Gender : Male

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 12/27/2021

Location : E Mission Ave and Gamble Street

City : Escondido

County : San Diego

State : California

Agency : Escondido Police Department

Officer(s) :Danny Armenta; Zane Velasquez

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police after vehicle pursuit and shootout

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 12/27/2021, Escondido Police Department officers Armenta and Velasquez shot and killed Roberto Cazares Salgado, 39, after an hours-long police chase through northern San Diego County ended near Mission Avenue and Gamble Street in Escondido. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and later San Diego County District Attorney review identify his full name as Roberto Cazares Salgado.
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The encounter originated with a homicide investigation in Vista. At approximately 5:00 p.m. on December 26, sheriff’s deputies responded to the 1300 block of Teelin Avenue and found Florencio Rodriguez, 42, fatally shot in his driveway. Sheriff’s homicide detectives subsequently identified Cazares Salgado as the person they believed responsible and distributed his information and vehicle description to area law-enforcement agencies.
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According to the subsequent DA investigation, Cazares Salgado went to a cousin’s residence in Escondido after the Vista shooting. His cousin told investigators that he was intoxicated and allegedly pointed a handgun at people at the residence. She accompanied him when he left in his Chevrolet Silverado and remained in the truck during the ensuing police chase.
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At approximately 11:15 p.m. on December 26, Escondido police located Cazares Salgado’s vehicle. The specific initiating reason was not a traffic violation: police were attempting to detain him because San Diego County sheriff’s homicide investigators had issued a regional bulletin identifying him in connection with the Vista killing. When an Escondido patrol vehicle approached with emergency lights activated, Cazares Salgado drove away and police began pursuing him.
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The pursuit traveled from Escondido onto State Route 78 through Vista and toward Oceanside. The DA reported that Cazares Salgado reached speeds as high as 130 mph, ran red lights and disregarded stop signs. Police deployed spike strips, puncturing tires on the truck, but the pursuit continued at reduced speeds.
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The pursuit eventually continued for approximately two hours at slow speed while police communicated with Cazares Salgado and his passenger. Officers Armenta and Velasquez were traveling in an armored BearCat as the pursuit returned to Escondido. At approximately 2:49 a.m. on December 27, police arranged for OnStar to remotely disable the Silverado, bringing it to a stop.
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According to the DA investigation, as the truck stopped Cazares Salgado got out holding a handgun and began firing toward police. Officer Velasquez fired from the roof hatch of the BearCat, while Officer Armenta moved around the rear of the armored vehicle and also fired. Armenta was struck by a bullet that penetrated his ballistic vest and slightly entered his chest.
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Police gunfire struck Cazares Salgado multiple times and he fell beside the driver’s door. Officers recovered the handgun he had been holding as well as a holster and two additional handgun magazines. Officers provided medical aid, and Cazares Salgado was transported to a hospital, where he died. The autopsy determined that he died from multiple gunshot wounds and classified the death as homicide.
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The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the fatal shooting after receiving the Escondido Police Department homicide investigation in May 2022. The review included physical evidence, witness information and the circumstances surrounding the pursuit and shooting. On 08/03/2022, the DA concluded that Armenta and Velasquez acted in lawful self-defense and defense of others and declined criminal prosecution.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The San Diego County District Attorney identified the officers who shot Cazares Salgado by their surnames, Armenta and Velasquez. The DA report establishes that both fired during the fatal encounter and that Armenta was struck by gunfire.
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The Escondido Police Department had another fatal police shooting earlier in 2021. Officer Chad Moore shot and killed Steven Olson on 04/21/2021 after police responded to reports of a man striking vehicles with a metal pole. The San Diego County District Attorney subsequently declined to prosecute Moore.
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Public-record data released by Escondido Police for 2021 reported nine civilian misconduct complaints, three of which resulted in sustained findings. The department reported one excessive-force complaint and one biased-policing/racial-profiling complaint that year, neither of which resulted in a sustained finding.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.sdsheriff.gov/Home/Components/News/News/872/16
https://www.sdcda.org/content/MediaRelease/202212/21-139PS%20%28Roberto%20Cazares%29.pdf
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-12-27/police-kill-man-officer-injured-in-shootout-following-pursuit
https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/north-county-news/officer-shot-after-pursuit-ends-in-escondido
https://thecoastnews.com/police-seek-motive-in-escondido-homicide-after-suspect-killed-in-shootout/