A 31-year-old Rancho Santa Margarita man suspected of fatally shooting a woman during a carjacking in Carlsbad fired at police while running toward an In-N-Out Burger in Laguna Hills and was shot and killed by officers in September, shows dash- and body-worn camera footage shared Tuesday by the Newport Beach Police Department. The video affirms details previously released by authorities.
The situation began late Friday, Sept. 19, when Carlsbad police were called to an apartment complex in the 2300 block of Rising Glen Way after reports of gunfire. Officers arrived around 9:53 p.m. and found a woman who had been shot. She died at the scene. Detectives said her vehicle had been stolen during the attack.
The victim was identified in broadcast reports as April Moore, 50, of Carlsbad.
Just after midnight, a license plate reader in Laguna Beach detected the stolen vehicle. Shortly before 1 a.m. on Sept. 20, Newport Beach officers located it near Newport Coast and Pacific Coast Highway and tried to pull the driver over, authorities said. When the driver sped off, officers from Newport Beach and Irvine joined in pursuit.
The chase continued into Laguna Hills, ending near Avenida De La Carlota. Video released by police shows the suspect, identified as Andre Anthony Matijasevic, making a sharp turn and stopping in the roadway, before getting out of the car and firing repeatedly at officers. Several patrol vehicles were struck by gunfire.
The footage then shows Matijasevic running toward a nearby In-N-Out Burger while continuing to shoot. Officers returned fire, and he is seen falling to the ground in the restaurant’s parking lot. In the video, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Oberon says the suspect continued firing from the ground. Matijasevic is seen aiming his gun toward officers, but because of the sound of police gunfire, it is unclear when the suspect fires again.
Officers approached and, after separating the suspect from his handgun, began life-saving measures until paramedics arrived. Matijasevic was taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, where he was pronounced dead. No officers were injured.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the attempted murder of the officers, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the officer-involved shooting. In the video, Newport Beach Police Chief Dave Miner says the investigation could take up to a year.
