Gunshot victim found in trunk of car during traffic stop in San Marino

Police are on the search for a driver who ran off after a man suffering from a gunshot wound was found in the trunk of a car during a traffic stop in San Marino on Tuesday.

An officer with the San Marino Police Department pulled a driver over for a traffic violation at about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday near the intersection of Los Robles Avenue and Monterey Road, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. As the officer approached the vehicle, the driver opened his door and ran east from the scene.

The police officer then spoke with a man who was in the passenger seat of the vehicle and detained him.

Officers then searched the trunk of the vehicle and found a man with gunshot wounds to his upper body. First responders treated the man at the scene, then took him to a nearby hospital.

LASD said the man was described as being in critical condition, “with death considered imminent.”

The gunshot victim’s name has not been released. It’s unclear where he was shot or what led up to the shooting.

The passenger of the vehicle was identified as a person of interest. Officers searched the area for the driver, but were unable to find him. He was described as being about 5-foot-6-inches tall and wearing dark clothing.

The investigation remains ongoing.