PASADENA >> Police arrested a man and woman Sunday afternoon for allegedly assaulting an officer during an early-morning traffic stop, resulting in an officer opening fire, authorities said.
Neither the officer or the suspects were injured in the incident, which took place about 3:15 p.m. at La Tierra Street and Avocado Lane, Pasadena police officials said.
The Southwest Regional Pacific Fugitive Task Force tracked suspects Sanjay Kumar Varma, 32, of Pasadena and Crystal Buelas Orleans, 22, of Moreno Valley to a Van Nuys parking lot and took them into custody without a struggle about 4:20 p.m., according to police and Los Angeles County booking records. Police described Varma as a gang associate.
Varma and Orleans escaped from police after a brief pursuit that followed the alleged assault and officer-involved shooting, Pasadena police officials said in a written statement. Prior to the suspects’ arrest, it was unknown whether either had been wounded in the shooting.
An officer stopped an SUV containing the suspects for a traffic violation and saw the driver — later identified as Varma — had a handgun, Lt. Pete Hettema said.
The SUV then sped off, nearly striking an officer, police said. An officer fired at least one shot.
Varma and Orleans were booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, officials said.
According to county booking records, Varma was being held in lieu of $130,000 bail pending his initial court appearance. Orleans was being held without bail.