A 33-year-old man wanted in San Bernardino County on domestic violence charges died after taking his own life while leading deputies in a pursuit, officials announced.
In a news release, officials with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said Yucaipa Station deputies spotted a vehicle on Highway 38 near Bryant Street in Mentone on March 16 that was associated with a Calimesa resident who had reportedly been involved in a domestic violence incident earlier in the day.
“Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop; however, the driver, identified as [Jovan] Jones, failed to yield,” SBSD investigators said. “Jones led deputies on a pursuit along Highway 38 for approximately eight miles before abruptly pulling onto the shoulder of the roadway.”
Jones was believed to armed with a gun based on reports from earlier in the day, so deputies issued commands for him to exit the vehicle from their patrol vehicle’s public address system.
When the 33-year-old failed to respond, deputies with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the operation, deploying a drone to safely assess the vehicle out of concerns that Jones was armed.
When deputies determined that Jones was unresponsive inside the car, they approached the vehicle and confirmed that he had a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
A 33-year-old man wanted in connection with a domestic violence incident took his life during a pursuit along Highway 38 with San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies on March 16, 2026. (Google Maps)
Paramedics arrived and declared Jones dead at the scene, investigators said.
While investigators with SBSD’s Specialized Investigations Division assumed the case, Jones remains were transported to the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office where an autopsy will be completed.
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The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact SBSD’s Specialized Investigations Division at 909-890-4904. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the WeTip Hotline at 800-78-CRIME or leave tips online at www.wetip.com.
If you or anyone you know is suffering from a mental health crisis, free professional help and support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling or texting 988 or by visiting the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline website.
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