Amber Alert ends with double-fatal shooting of father, teen daughter in Hesperia

An Amber Alert ended Tuesday after a fugitive father and his missing teenage daughter were shot and killed during a shootout with sheriff’s deputies along Interstate 15 in Hesperia.

Preliminary information shared by San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus included the announcement that Anthony John Graziano, 45, and 15-year-old Savannah Graziano were dead.

The teen girl may have fired back at the deputies during the vehicle pursuit that started at 10:25 a.m. Tuesday after a 911 caller reported seeing Graziano's Nissan Frontier near Highways 395 and 58 in the Barstow area, Discus said.

After the pursuit on southbound I-15, which included an exchange of gunfire, the suspect’s vehicle went off the road on the southwest corner of Main Street between the freeway and off ramp.

After the vehicle came to a stop, the suspect began firing at deputies, who fired back. During that time, a passenger wearing a tactical helmet and “trauma plate” on their chest exited the passenger side of the vehicle and ran toward deputies.

As the gunfight continued, deputies fatally struck the driver inside his truck. The passenger, who was later identified as the teenager, was also struck as she ran toward deputies.

The girl was transported to an area hospital, where she was pronounced deceased at 11:52 a.m., Dicus said.

Authorities did not specify whether the teen girl was struck by gunfire from deputies or her father, who was later found dead in his truck.

“This all needs to be confirmed,” as it is preliminary information, Dicus emphasized.

Dicus did not know how many times the teenager was shot. Only one AR-15-type rifle was found at the scene, he said.

The pursuit

When the pursuit began, John Graziano fired multiple shots out of the vehicle’s rear window striking the deputy’s vehicle. The teenager may have also fired back at the deputies, Dicus said.

The pursuit continued on Highway 58 to Lenwood, then onto I-15 south toward the Victor Valley when a second sheriff’s vehicle joined the pursuit, but was halted when it was disable by gunfire.

The pursuit ended when the vehicle went off the road in Hesperia and the gunfight began.

One deputy was hit in the face with shrapnel during the gunfight. They are in stable condition, Dicus said.

An aviation crew aboard a sheriff's airship took video of the pursuit, but did not fire at the suspect’s vehicle, Dicus said.

Sheriff’s officials, at 11:23 a.m. Tuesday, reported heavy police activity on I-15 between Bear Valley Road in Victorville and Joshua Road in Hesperia.

After the shooting, the California Highway Patrol reported at 11:37 a.m. that the Amber Alert for missing Savannah Graziano, and her father was deactivated.

The SBC Sheriff-Coroner’s Division still needs to officially confirm the identities of the dead, Dicus said.

The Amber Alert

On Monday, Graziano's daughter was reported missing after her father was suspected of killing his wife, Tracy Martinez, 45, during a domestic violence-related incident that morning.

The shooting happened around 7:30 a.m. at a home on Cypress Avenue and Mallory Drive, Fontana Police officials reported.

The Amber Alert, on behalf of the Fontana Police Department, included the description of Graziano's vehicle, a white 2017 Nissan Frontier with California license plate 44305G2.

Savannah Graziano was last seen with her father at approximately 7:34 a.m. on Monday.

Southbound I-15 closed

At 6:16 p.m., the California Highway Patrol issued a Sig-Alert at Bear Valley Road as they reported all southbound lanes of I-15 were expected to be closed for 24 hours or longer for the investigation. Alternate routes are Bear Valley Road to Hwy. 395 to I-15 south.

Several residents of the Victor Valley and Barstow contacted the Daily Press saying they were stuck on southbound I-15 near Victorville.

This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Amber Alert ends with double-fatal shooting in Hesperia