A high-speed police chase that started in San Luis Obispo County
ended in gunfire and death last Friday near the El Capitan Ranch in
Goleta. Both southbound lanes of Highway 101 were closed for more
than five hours as 41-year-old Jose Cabrera – a parolee from San
Jose with several warrants out for his arrest – drove a hijacked
jeep with hostages into the 805. When the jeep ran out of gas,
Cabrera abandoned the hostages, stole a delivery truck near the
Tajiguas landfill, and continued south. After hitting a spike
strip, Cabrera ran across the freeway toward two vehicles parked
near the northbound off-ramp of the El Capitan Ranch exit. He
opened fire on the cars without knowing they belonged to two
off-duty narcotics officers from San Luis Obispo County who were
helping a broken-down motorist. One of the officers returned fire,
striking Cabrera three times and killing him.
