EL CAJON (KUSI) – A man who allegedly injured an El Cajon police officer, who was dragged about 200 yards down a roadway while clinging to an SUV, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to assault with a deadly weapon and identity theft charges.
David Pangilinan, 41, is accused of dragging Officer Nick Cirello down West Washington Avenue on the morning of Dec. 14, then fleeing the county. He was at large for nearly a month until being arrested at an undisclosed location in Los Angeles County by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Rampart Division.
Cirello, who was also allegedly punched repeatedly by Pangilinan and 28-year-old co-defendant Keani Flores, suffered injuries that include major head trauma, a brain bleed and broken bones, according to Deputy District Attorney Mei Owen. The officer was hospitalized, but is now back home and is expected to fully recover from his injuries, according to the El Cajon Police Department.
EL CAJON
A man accused of dragging an El Cajon police officer, who clung to the man’s car before he was thrown in the street and badly injured, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to assault with a deadly weapon.
David Francis Cepeda Pangilinian, 41, is also accused of handing over a stolen identification card to officers after they roused him and his sleeping companion in a car parked along a city street last month.
Pangilinian who at the time of the encounter was on probation out of Los Angeles County for ID theft faces up to seven years, eight months in prison if he is convicted. The officer suffered broken bones and a brain hemorrhage.
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A man who was wanted for injuring an El Cajon police officer in December was arrested by Los Angeles police officers, authorities said Sunday.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Rampart division announced the arrest of David Pangilinan, who had a felony warrant and was wanted on suspicion of injuring El Cajon police Officer Nick Cirello, authorities said.
Cirello was seriously injured on Dec. 14 when he was dragged down an El Cajon street by a rental SUV driven by a fleeing motorist, then was struck by another vehicle.
David Francis Cepeda Pangilinan
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“We are elated to announce that thanks to LAPD Rampart, David Pangilinan, the suspect who injured Officer Cirello, has been arrested,” the LAPD tweeted Sunday. “Rampart Narcotics Enforcement Detail arrested Pangilinan and recovered a loaded gun and a large amount of drugs & money. Great job & THANK YOU.”
EL CAJON
The driver suspected of injuring an El Cajon police officer while fleeing a traffic stop last week has eluded arrest in Central California, but detectives arrested the woman who was allegedly his passenger in the El Cajon incident, police said Monday.
David Francis Cepeda Pangilinan, 41
(Courtesy of El Cajon Police Department)
A judge has issued a $5 million arrest warrant for 41-year-old David Francis Cepeda Pangilinan, who is suspected of dragging Officer Nick Cirello with a rented SUV early last week. Police said Cirello was seriously injured and hospitalized in intensive care until his release on Friday.
In the search for Pangilinan and his passenger, police tracked the pair to Oakhurst, a small town in the Sierra Nevada foothills about 14 miles south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park, according to El Cajon police Lt. Randy Soulard.
EL CAJON
An injured El Cajon police officer was released from the hospital Friday, five days after he was dragged by an SUV and then flung to the ground when the driver sped away with the officer partially trapped in the vehicle, police said.
El Cajon police identified Officer Nick Cirello as the officer injured Monday when he was dragged by an SUV during a traffic stop.
(Courtesy of El Cajon Police Department)
Investigators also identified David Francis Cepeda Pangilinan, 41, as the suspect, according to El Cajon police Lt. Randy Soulard. Sheriff’s Department records show a $5 million warrant for Pangilinan’s arrest was issued Wednesday.