Beaumont Police Chase Suspect Arrested In Banning Shooting

BANNING, CA — A Banning man who crashed his vehicle earlier this month in Beaumont after leading a police chase with his three young children in tow was rearrested Monday following an investigation into a Banning shooting.

Ledrew Lee, 26, was taken into custody Monday by Banning police on suspicion of shooting into a home with two adults and an infant inside. The non-injury shooting was reported the same day as the police chase. In addition to a booking charge of shooting into an inhabited residence, jail records also show Lee was booked on suspicion of carrying a loaded firearm and possession of an assault weapon.

Lee, who Beaumont police said his family described as being a drug user and having "declining mental health," was taken into custody following the April 14 crash, but Banning police took him in again after determining he was their suspect in the shooting earlier that day in the 5000 block of West Ramsey Street in Banning.

Banning police said the ongoing investigation into Lee, and an illegal AR-15 found in the crashed vehicle, tied him to the shooting.

The shooting took place early in the morning on April 14. A separate call to Beaumont police around 6:10 p.m. that same day reported a possible child abduction from a business in the 1200 block of E. 6th Street.

It was later determined that Lee was staying at a local motel with a family member when he became distraught and left in his gray-colored Toyota Camry with his three young children.

"The family was concerned for the welfare of the children due to Ledrew's declining mental health and drug use," according to the Beaumont Police Department.

A Beaumont police officer spotted the Camry and tried to pull Lee over, but he sped off westbound on 6th Street, ran a red light at Beaumont Avenue, and crashed with two other vehicles.

The chase ended with the crash, but Lee refused to get out of the wrecked car, so officers pulled him out, according to police.

The children were in the backseat of the crashed Camry and were transported to an area hospital "for observation," police said.

Lee was hospitalized with injuries.

The driver of one of the other crash vehicles was hospitalized with minor injuries, police said.

At the time of the crash, Beaumont police said Lee was pending charges for three counts of willful cruelty to a child and evading a police officer. Jail records do not show those charges.

Beaumont police also said Lee was a Beaumont resident, while Banning police said he resides in Banning.