Suspect in road-rage shooting, car chase and SWAT standoff arrested by Fresno deputies

A 35-year-old Reedley man was arrested on Monday following a suspected road-rage shooting that turned into a car chase and stand off.

Joshua Heinrichs was taken into custody at an apartment complex in Orange Cove and booked into Fresno County Jail on felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon, shooting at a vehicle and for having an outstanding warrant, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

According to a news release, deputies were dispatched to the shooting in the area of Reed and Adams avenues where Heinrichs allegedly shot a passing car, though no one was injured, the sheriff’s office said.

He then led deputies on a car chase that reached more than 100 mph.

The sheriff’s office used its helicopter to follow Heinrichs north of Sanger and deputies set up a spike strip at Highway 180 and Academy in an attempt to stop the chase. Heinrichs ran over the spike strip and continued east on 180, with sparks “flying from his wheels.”

Heinrichs reached Orange Cove and ultimately abandoned his car in the 500 block of Adams, then ran into a nearby apartment complex.

Deputies surrounded the complex and called in the office’s Crisis Negotiation and SWAT teams.

After several hours, the SWAT team was preparing to enter when two women walked out of the apartment and were detained, the sheriff’s office said. Heinrichs, meanwhile, attempted to escape through a back window and was climbing down to a nearby building when SWAT members took him into custody.

The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information on Heinrichs to contact them at 559-600-3111. They can contact Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867 to remain anonymous.