Henderson homicide suspect captured after chase in California
A suspect in Sunday’s double homicide in Henderson led California authorities on a short chase before opening fire on several deputies early Wednesday, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Roger Tindell, 36, caught the attention of law enforcement just before 2:15 a.m. following reports of a shooting at a residence in Yucca Valley, California, the Sheriff’s Department said. When authorities arrived, they found a 43-year-old man suffering from at least one gunshot wound.
Tindell left the scene, fleeing in a silver BMW with a woman who was armed, according to the Sheriff’s Department. When deputies tried to pull the BMW over, Tindell allegedly sped off, leading them on a chase through Southern California’s Yucca and Morongo valleys. During the chase, Tindell shot at the deputies, prompting them to fire back, authorities said.
Tindell appeared to stream the pursuit live on his Facebook profile for about seven minutes. In the video he claims to be holding a pregnant woman hostage and yells at police to “back off” or he’ll shoot the woman.
The woman is heard in the video telling him to drive faster, at one point saying, “Now I have to raise our son alone.”
A Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman confirmed that Tindell had streamed the video of the pursuit on Facebook. She also confirmed that one woman was in the car with the suspect during the pursuit.
The chase ended several minutes later when Tindell crashed into a patrol car. After the impact, the department said, Tindell again exchanged gunfire with the deputies and was struck at least once. He was taken to an area hospital, where he is expected to recover.
Tindell also posted a live video about three hours before the car chase. In it, he loads a gun and points it at the camera multiple times. A woman is also seen in the earlier video, which appears to have been taken inside a home.
Tindell will face charges, including attempted murder and felony evading, in connection with both the shooting of the 43-year-old man and the deputy-involved shooting, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Once Tindell was in custody, detectives learned that an FBI task force had been searching for Tindell in connection with the double killing in Henderson inside a residence on the 400 block of Forest Street, near Major Avenue and Warm Springs Road.
The victims, identified by the Clark County coroner’s office as Robin McComb, 40, and Mellisa Mason, 28, were found with apparent head injuries, Henderson police said. McComb’s official cause of death was pending Wednesday, but Mason’s cause of death has been ruled as blunt force head injuries.
The Henderson Police Department confirmed Wednesday evening that Tindell was suspected in the double homicide before his arrest in California. Warrants for Tindell’s arrest were filed this week through the Clark County District Attorney’s Office under two counts of murder, police said.
The Sheriff’s Department notified the Henderson Police Department on Wednesday that Tindell was in custody for the California charges.
Henderson police spokeswoman Katrina Rothmeyer declined to give further details about Tindell’s arrest because of the open investigation. It was unclear how Henderson police identified Tindell, or if police have found a motive in the killings of McComb and Mason.
In a GoFundMe campaign she created to assist with funeral costs, McComb’s cousin Jonnette Nielsen said the couple had been dating.
“Him and his girlfriend are going to be gratefully (sic) missed,” Nielsen said. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mason’s family has declined requests for comment.
Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter. Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.
