Man Who Forced 5 Freeway Closure Accused of Killing Kids, Wife

The man who led police on chase that began in Santa Ana and ended with a stand-off near the I-5 weigh station south of San Clemente was arrested this morning on suspicion of killing his ex-girlfriend and their two young sons.

Shazer Fernando Limas, 31, of Orange was taken into custody by California Highway Patrol officers on 5 south at the San Onofre weigh station in San Diego County at about 7:45 p.m. Thursday after a high-speed chase, said Orange police Sgt. Dan Adams. But he was placed under arrest on suspicion of three counts of murder only this morning, he said.

Police began looking for Limas, 31-year-old Arlet Hernandez and their children after blood and other evidence of an altercation was found by investigators around noon Thursday in a vacant apartment that they had shared on Chapman Avenue in Orange, he said.

"Mr. Limas was interviewed at the Orange Police Department and based on the totality of our investigation, he was arrested for murder and will be booked at the Orange County Jail," Adams said. "Our evidence is strong enough to book him for murder. We're confident this is our suspect."

The evidence against Limas includes statements he made during the police interviews, Adams said without stating whether the suspect had confessed.

"I can confirm that we are searching the Brea landfill for the bodies of Arlet Hernandez and her two young children who we believe were killed by ... Limas," Adams said after dawn. The search is also under way outside Orange County, he said.

As of this morning, Limas had not retained an attorney, Adams said.

Limas lived with Hernandez and her 2-year-old and 4-month-old children in the apartment on Chapman before moving out on April 28, Adams said. Evidence found in the apartment prompted someone at the complex to call police, Adams said.

Late Thursday afternoon, police received information that Limas was in the Santa Ana-Costa Mesa area and located him in a parking lot near John Wayne Airport, according to Adams.

Costa Mesa and Santa Ana police tried to pull over his Nissan 350Z, but he fled, driving first on surface streets, then onto southbound 405 and the 5 south, he said. Limas drove at speeds up to 90 mph.

The CHP became involved around Lake Forest at 6:35 p.m., said CHP Officer Gabe Montoya.

The sports car ran over a spike strip around San Juan Capistrano after the CHP closed down the freeway in both directions, Montoya said. The chase ended just across the county line, a CHP dispatcher said.

Limas, wearing a suit, sat in his car for an hour before getting out and being placed under arrest on suspicion of felony evading.

--City News Service