The suspect who died when he downed a vial of home-made poison at the end of a police chase near Los Angeles has been pictured as it is revealed he was wanted for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
Jonathan Hanks is believed to have consumed a poisonous mix of sodium chloride and potassium cyanide before he smashed into a median on the 101 Freeway near Seward Avenue in Ventura County, California, according to NBC Los Angeles.
The 33-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene at around 8am. He had earlier told officers he was suicidal, the California Highway Patrol said.
Jonathan Hanks died after drinking the concoction during a police chase near Los Angeles
Jonathan Hanks is believed to have consumed a poisonous mix of sodium chloride and potassium cyanide before he smashed into a median on the 101 Freeway near Seward Avenue in Ventura County
The 33-year-old rape suspect was pronounced dead at the scene at around 8am. He had earlier told officers he was suicidal, the California Highway Patrol said
According to the Los Angeles Times, Hanks was wanted for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old in a LA motel on February 4 after contacting her through Snapchat.
LAPD Detective Ninette Toosbuy said he lured the teen to the motel – convincing to sneak out of her home. She suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the attack.
Toosbuy said they have reason to believe there were other victims, but that none had come forward.
Los Angeles police contacted the California Highway Patrol at around 7.30am to tell them undercover officers were covering Hanks, who was driving in a black Nissan Versa.
The chase began after detectives arrived at his home with a search warrant and he fled.
Police tried to pull him over for about six miles during a slow-speed chase, but he ignored their commands and signals, Officer Kevin Denharder told the Los Angeles Times.
After a few minutes of chasing the suspect, police say the car began drifting and veered left, crossing all three lanes of the highway before hitting the center divider.
Officers said they saw Hanks drink something out of a can and slump over the wheel before he lost control of his car.
Hanks lived in Camarillo at the time of his death, according to Los Angeles police.
No other information about the assault was immediately available.
Authorities said earlier on in the chase shots were fired, but said they weren’t fired at the time Hanks drank the poison. No officers were injured in the chase.