Temecula, California - ***UPDATE*** A felony warrant has been issued for the arrest of Reuel Earl Westfall. Westfall is a Parolee at Large and considered to be dangerous.

We are requesting the public’s assistance in locating Westfall. Anyone with information regarding this incident or the whereabouts of Westfall is asked to contact the Central Homicide Unit at (760) 836-1632 or the Temecula Police Department at (951) 696-3000.

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On June 25, 2007, about 9:09 AM, an officer from the Temecula Police Department was investigating a report of a fraud that was committed near Winchester Road and Ynez Road, in the Palm Plaza.During his investigation, the officer was able to obtain a description and license plate of the suspect’s vehicle, which he confirmed to be reported stolen from Orange County. The officer then searched the Palm Plaza area and located the suspect’s white Ford Expedition parked in the parking lot on the Northwest corner of Overland Drive and Ynez Road, in front of K-Mart.

The officer contacted the driver sitting inside the vehicle and instructed the driver to exit the vehicle. The officer attempted to place handcuffs on the driver who resisted the officer’s attempt and was able to return to the inside of the stolen vehicle. The driver quickly accelerated the vehicle forward and collided with the vehicle parked in front of him, then put the vehicle in reverse and accelerated his vehicle towards the officer. As the officer was trying to get out of the path of the moving vehicle, he fired one round from his handgun towards the driver.

The driver continued driving and rammed his vehicle into the officer’s police unit. The driver put the vehicle in drive, collided with the original vehicle for a second time, and fled the location. The officer was uninjured and will be placed on administrative leave per department policy.
This investigation is on going and anyone with further information about the location of the suspect is encouraged to call detectives at the Temecula Police Department at (951) 696-3000 or Investigator Ben Ramirez from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit at (760) 836-1632.