Was Savannah Graziano really abducted? Teen 'shot back' at cops in gunfire exchange that killed father
FONTANA, CALIFORNIA: Investigators reportedly believe that the teenage girl who was 'abducted' by her father and died during a gunfight with police in California's high desert actually fired back at the cops. Savannah Graziano, 15, was killed after her father Anthony John Graziano, 45, had allegedly murdered his estranged wife the day before and abducted his daughter. Following Graziano's escape, investigators issued an Amber Alert. He was described as being dangerous and armed.
However, according to The New York Times, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus revealed that the 15-year-old was a 'participant in shooting' at deputies. She was wearing tactical gear when she charged at the cops. According to the sheriff's office, a person who called 911 reported seeing the suspect's Nissan Frontier driving near Barstow. After seeing the pickup truck, deputies pursued it for almost 45 miles along the highway.
RELATED ARTICLES
Savannah Graziano: Teen and kidnapper father die in police shootout after miles-long chase
According to Dicus, Graziano was ‘constantly shooting back at the cops’ through the truck's rear window throughout the pursuit, potentially joined by his daughter. The pickup truck came to a stop on the shoulder of a highway in the city of Hesperia, and a shootout ensued. Savannah, who was wearing tactical gear, was killed after exiting the truck and running toward the deputies, according to the police. She collapsed to the ground during the shooting. Sheriff Dicus claimed that the fact that the girl was sprinting toward the cops while wearing a helmet and a military-style vest capable of holding armored plates prevented the deputies from immediately realizing that she was a girl.
She was brought to the hospital and later declared dead, while her father was discovered dead in the driver's seat. A rifle was discovered inside the car. Sheriff Dicus reported that during the gunfight, one deputy was hurt by shrapnel. On Wednesday, September 28, Fontana Police Sgt Christian Surgent said detectives served two search warrants at a home and a storage facility linked to Graziano, where they found multiple rifles, handguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, smoke grenades, body armor, and other survival gear.
Sheriff Dicus provides an update on the status of the deputy involved shooting investigation in Hesperia. pic.twitter.com/qHX9VC1e1P
— San Bernardino County Sheriff (@sbcountysheriff) September 28, 2022
According to Fontana police, Graziano allegedly killed Tracy Martinez, 45, on Monday morning, September 26, after a domestic violence incident. Martinez was taken to the hospital and later declared dead. Investigators found that the couple was going through a divorce. Dicus earlier said that officials would review the video of the scene taken from the department’s helicopter to determine exactly what happened.“This investigation is going to take at least 24 hours before we’re able to provide you with more information as to what happened and exactly what the circumstances are as it relates to the officer-involved situation,” he added.