Suspect killed in Sonoma County gun battle with deputies identified

The suspect who was killed in a gun battle and wild chase in Sonoma County on Monday was identified as 53-year-old Jose Luis Villasenor Cervantes.

The incident started around 12:10 a.m. when officers received an initial report of a man "brandishing" a rifle outside a nightclub in the area of Stony Point and Todd roads.

A deputy spotted Cervantes, a resident of Santa Rosa, driving a white sedan in the area of Todd Road and Standish Avenue, and attempted to make contact with the suspect, authorities said.

The suspect was armed with an AK-47-style rifle and got out of his vehicle and immediately began firing at the deputy, sheriff's deputies said in a news release on Tuesday.

The deputy did return fire. Additional deputies arrived and also opened fire on Cervantes. The suspect fired several rounds at deputies before returning to his vehicle and leading them on a chase.

The pursuit ended in a collision in the 3200 block of Stony Point Road.

Cervantes died at the site of the crash. Authorities have not determined if Cervantes died from gunshot injuries or as a result of the crash.

Four responding deputies were injured, and one suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. Two hurt their hands and one deputy sustained a head injury. Other than the one deputy who was shot in the leg, authorities have not said how all the deputies suffered their injuries.

The deputy with a head injury is in critical but stable condition.

Three of them were released from the hospital on Monday and the fourth deputy remains hospitalized.