Homicide Suspect Shot By Police After Crashing Van Into Irvine Home

IRVINE, CA — Police shot and killed the driver of a van that crashed into a home in Irvine, leading to the discovery of a homicide victim inside the home, according to the Irvine Police Department.

The driver of the van is believed to have previously killed the victim, a handicapped man for whom the suspect was a caretaker, The Orange County Register reported.

The incident was reported at around 2:15 a.m. Monday morning, when a man crashed his minivan through the wall of a home on Whistling Swan near Wetstone in Irvine.

Upon entering the home, police found the dead victim — but investigators don't believe the crash was what killed the man, The Orange County Register reported.

According to the newspaper, police said the suspect went inside the home but further information about what happened inside was not released.

The crash caused a minor gas leak, which first responders managed to quickly handle, Irvine Police Department spokesman Kyle Oldoerp said.

Family members told reporters at the scene the victim was paralyzed from the waist down, and they believe the suspect was a former caregiver.

Later that same night at 3:25 a.m., an Irvine police officer made contact with the suspect at West Yale Loop and Stone Creek South. Authorities said the suspect — who held a knife — got into a confrontation with an officer and was shot.

He was taken to an area hospital, where he died hours later. His identity was not released.

Investigators were sorting through witness statements and other evidence to determine what relationship, if any, the suspect had with the victim, Oldoerp said.

City News Service contributed to this report.