LITTLETON, Colo. (KDVR) — Police are still searching for a suspect who is on the run after shooting at two Littleton Police officers early Tuesday morning, hitting one of them multiple times.
According to Littleton Police, Rigoberto Valles Dominguez shot Officer David Snook in the arm, leg and torso. Snook is expected to survive.
“Unfortunately, during this emergency rescue and evacuation of the officer, the suspect escaped and has not yet been located,” Littleton Police Chief Doug Stephens said during a news conference.
Tuesday morning, LPD said they did not believe there to be a threat to the community even though the suspect was still at large. However, now LPD says Dominguez should be considered armed and dangerous.
“We did our best with tactical teams to search the entire area including multiple apartments in that area before we released the scene but it is logical to believe that he was secreted somewhere in the neighborhood,” Chief Stephens said.
According to Stephens, Dominguez may have been hiding somewhere near the apartment complex where the shooting occurred for up to 12 hours.
Carjacking victim: ‘He said he would kill me’
While police were investigating the original crime scene, an armed carjacking occurred less than a block away. At the time, LPD would not confirm if the two crimes were related. Now, LPD says it believes Dominguez is the prime suspect in both.
“I was taking my clothes to wash them and I was going to throw out the trash. When I got to my car, I saw that he had a gun,” the carjacking victim, who asked to remain anonymous for his safety, told FOX31.
According to the victim, Dominguez forced him into the vehicle and shot out the driver’s side window.
“He wanted to take me because he didn’t want to drive…He said he would kill me. He sat in the backseat. That’s when I jumped out of the car and ran. He yelled stop or I’ll shoot. I didn’t listen to him,” the victim said.
FOX31 crews witnesses the victim running barefoot toward police officers to report the carjacking Tuesday afternoon. According to the victim, Dominguez got away with his vehicle, keys, phone and clothes.
“I’m scared,” he said. “I’m scared that he is going to come back.”
Dominguez left in the victim’s 2002 tan Ford Escape with damage to the driver’s side window. He has tattoos on his forearms of a skull and a saint.
If you recognize him or know his whereabouts, do not approach him. Instead, call 911 or Crime Stoppers (720-913-STOP).