Crime & Safety

TIMELINE: How the Events Surrounding Christopher Dorner Unfolded

Christopher Dorner is accused of killing the daughter of a retired Los Angeles Police Department captain and her fiance. He is also suspected of killing a Riverside Police officer and injuring his partner.

Law-enforcement is still on the hunt for a former Los Angeles Police officer who is suspected of committing three revenge killings in retaliation for his firing from the department.

The focus of the search for Christopher J. Dorner has turned to the Big Bear area, where San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials said his car was found destroyed by fire. Authorities searched all Thursday night for Dorner.

Here is the timeline of events surrounding Dorner’s case:

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  • Jan. 21: A Facebook page is created for Chris Dorner that includes several pictures of the former officer. Eventually it would include what is now known as his manifesto in which he explains who his targets are and why he feels wronged.
  • Feb. 3: Monica Quan, a basketball coach at Cal State Fullerton and former star athlete at Walnut High School, and her fiancée Keith Lawrence, were found shot dead in their vehicle. The couple had been sitting in the parking structure near their Irvine apartment.
  • Feb. 6: Dorner is named as the suspect in the death of Quan and Lawrence. Details of Dorner’s vendetta begin to emerge.
  • Feb. 6: San Diego County officials say they suspect Dorner tried to steal a boat from an 81-year-old man at Point Loma late that night. About 2 a.m. Thursday, a witness in the area reported finding a badge and briefcase that appeared to belong to Dorner, according to media reports.
  • Feb. 7: A gray Nissan Titan pickup truck was spotted around 1:20 a.m. Thursday in the Corona area by a resident who alerted a pair of LAPD officers en route to protect someone named in the manifesto. The officers were trying to catch up to the vehicle near Interstate 15 and Magnolia Avenue when Dorner allegedly opened fire on them, grazing one officer in the head.
  • Feb. 7: Shortly after the first shooting, Dorner reportedly ambushed two Riverside Police officers while they were stopped at a red light in the area of Magnolia and Arlington avenues. An 11-year veteran of the force was killed. The second officer was seriously injured.
  • Feb. 7: About 8:30 a.m., Dorner’s burned out truck was found in the area of Forest Road 2N10 and Club View in Big Bear Lake. About 2:30 p.m., deputies were able to confirm the vehicle belonged to Christopher Dorner.
  • Feb. 8: San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials conducted on all night search of several hundred empty mountain cabins in Big Bear Lake. By Friday morning it was not clear if Dorner was in the area. The incident prompted the closing of the local school district.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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