RIDGECREST, CA - 24 year-old Matthew Guidangen simply tagged along with a friend to give Sergio Munoz a ride. That split-second decision led to him being taken hostage on a wild, high-speed pursuit and shootout.
"All of it happened just spontaneously," said Guidangen of the last day he spent with friend, Munoz. "We didn't know we'd be picking him up. Just hanging out, and we got a call from him."
After partying in the early hours of October 25th, Guidangen and friend Amanda Garcia agreed to give Munoz a ride home. When the three arrived at Munoz's home, Guidangen said Munoz became paranoid, questioning who Garcia was texting while in his house.
"He just kind of does a complete 180," said Guidangen, who has known Munoz for years and admits to having used drugs with him in the past. "He pulled a gun out on me. He said, 'Be smart and listen. Get in the trunk and nothing's going to happen. I don't want to do anything to you."
Guidangen said Munoz forced him into the trunk of Garcia's car. He drove them to the Atkins Avenue home of Thaddeus Meier and Brittany Matheny, where he sometimes lived. Munoz then forced Garcia into the trunk with Guidangen. The two laid quietly until they heard gunshots.
"I was saying, 'I can open up the trunk.' She was laying in the front, kind of in my way of getting out and saying, 'No, I just want to stay here. I can't run away fast enough."
Guidangen was childhood friends with both Meier and Matheny. He didn't know their home is where Munoz had stopped or that he shot Meier and Matheny. Matheny died, and Meier was shot in both arms.
After the shooting, Guidangen felt the car moving and heard Munoz on the phone with police.
"He's saying, 'Back off so I can pull over and let them out. I'm going to let them out.' Me and her [Amanda] are opening the trunk trying to tell them to back off, but they just keep chasing the car," he said.
When Munoz ran out of gas, he instead opened the interior hatch to the trunk and fired.
"We see him stick the revolver into the slot right there and he puts it up to my side and fires," said Guidangen, who was shot twice. "I guess what had happened was it went through me and hit Amanda."
"We popped the trunk open, and we are both able to roll out of the trunk. I get up and start trying to run off to the side where the desert is at to get out of the line of fire, because the cops were starting to move in on the vehicle."
Guidangen was shot again in the knee, but unsure if it was from Munoz or a deputy's bullet. He was conscious until he went in for surgery to repair his large intestine. He also had surgery for a replacement knee cap and is recovering at home in a wheelchair. He hopes to start physical therapy in a few weeks.
Garcia is still in the hospital, but out of ICU.
Guidangen said he knew Munoz was going through a divorce that he didn't want and that Munoz was depressed days before the shooting. He said friends suspected Munoz was suicidal, but didn't think he was a threat to others.
"All of it happened just spontaneously," said Guidangen of the last day he spent with friend, Munoz. "We didn't know we'd be picking him up. Just hanging out, and we got a call from him."
After partying in the early hours of October 25th, Guidangen and friend Amanda Garcia agreed to give Munoz a ride home. When the three arrived at Munoz's home, Guidangen said Munoz became paranoid, questioning who Garcia was texting while in his house.
"He just kind of does a complete 180," said Guidangen, who has known Munoz for years and admits to having used drugs with him in the past. "He pulled a gun out on me. He said, 'Be smart and listen. Get in the trunk and nothing's going to happen. I don't want to do anything to you."
Guidangen said Munoz forced him into the trunk of Garcia's car. He drove them to the Atkins Avenue home of Thaddeus Meier and Brittany Matheny, where he sometimes lived. Munoz then forced Garcia into the trunk with Guidangen. The two laid quietly until they heard gunshots.
"I was saying, 'I can open up the trunk.' She was laying in the front, kind of in my way of getting out and saying, 'No, I just want to stay here. I can't run away fast enough."
Guidangen was childhood friends with both Meier and Matheny. He didn't know their home is where Munoz had stopped or that he shot Meier and Matheny. Matheny died, and Meier was shot in both arms.
After the shooting, Guidangen felt the car moving and heard Munoz on the phone with police.
"He's saying, 'Back off so I can pull over and let them out. I'm going to let them out.' Me and her [Amanda] are opening the trunk trying to tell them to back off, but they just keep chasing the car," he said.
When Munoz ran out of gas, he instead opened the interior hatch to the trunk and fired.
"We see him stick the revolver into the slot right there and he puts it up to my side and fires," said Guidangen, who was shot twice. "I guess what had happened was it went through me and hit Amanda."
"We popped the trunk open, and we are both able to roll out of the trunk. I get up and start trying to run off to the side where the desert is at to get out of the line of fire, because the cops were starting to move in on the vehicle."
Guidangen was shot again in the knee, but unsure if it was from Munoz or a deputy's bullet. He was conscious until he went in for surgery to repair his large intestine. He also had surgery for a replacement knee cap and is recovering at home in a wheelchair. He hopes to start physical therapy in a few weeks.
Garcia is still in the hospital, but out of ICU.
Guidangen said he knew Munoz was going through a divorce that he didn't want and that Munoz was depressed days before the shooting. He said friends suspected Munoz was suicidal, but didn't think he was a threat to others.