Bystander shooting investigation continues in Chino

The investigation into the death of a bystander during a Sunday night shootout between police and suspected armed robbers continues, while a Rubidoux woman grieves over the loss of the father of her children.

Ariceli Millan, who was contacted Tuesday at the home of shooting victim Daniel Balandran, said she spent Monday in Balandran's room where she said wall posters had celebrated her boyfriend's love of skating and car racing.

"This can't be happening; this is a nightmare," Millan said she remembered thinking when police came with Balandran's best friend Carlos at 3 a.m. Monday morning to inform her that her boyfriend had been shot dead in the parking lot near Papa John's where police had responded to a robbery report.

Millan said Balandran's friend hugged her when they met Monday morning at the home.

"Automatically, I knew, 'Oh my God'," said Millan, who had been with Balandran since 2002 after they met through a Yahoo social networking service over the Internet.

Millan said Balandran and his friend had gone to Chino on Sunday night to visit a local skatepark. She described Balandran as a long-time avid inline-skater and drift-car racing enthusiast. She said Balandran had recently entered in racing competitions had been excited about that.

"Daniel is the type of person who loved adventures, he loved going to skate parks," Millan said of the father of her children, a five-uear old and a four-month-old. "He knows everything. This guy knows how to play piano. He's an open minded person."

Millan said Balandran and his friend had ordered at the drive-through at McDonalds, and had parked to eat before the shooting started.

Two neighbors who live close to the crime scene, say they remember seeing Balandran's handcuffed body on the ground, exposed over Sunday night and Monday morning, near the south side of Papa John's on Central Avenue.

Millan said on Tuesday funeral plans for Balandran are still being discussed.

Other family members and friends at or near Balandran's home in Rubidoux, said they had no comment for reporters but did say the family was discussing the matter with an attorney.

Three others, including a police officer, were injured during the incident.