The man believed to have fatally shot a police dog during a dramatic weekend manhunt in Burbank has been identified as 37-year-old Jose Domingo Ayala Alas of Palmdale, authorities announced Wednesday.
Around 6:40 p.m. Saturday, officers with the Burbank Police Department initiated a traffic stop on Buena Vista Street in the 2400 block — close to the northbound on-ramp of the Interstate 5 (Golden State Freeway). What began as a routine stop quickly spiraled into chaos when a passenger bolted. That individual climbed up the freeway on-ramp, vaulted over a freeway embankment, and vanished into a nearby residential neighborhood.
Officers stayed behind with the driver and the vehicle while calling in backup. Soon enough, a coordinated search was launched — deploying a police helicopter and a K-9 unit. The department’s K-9, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois named Spike, tracked the suspect deep into nearby bushes and overgrown terrain. It was there, according to police, that Ayala Alas opened fire, striking Spike. The dog retreated toward his handler and was rushed to an emergency veterinarian — but sadly, he didn’t survive.
Despite the vest meant to protect him, the ballistic armor couldn’t save Spike — a detail that underscored the danger of the situation. The Burbank Police Department mourned the loss. One officer said it “was no different than losing a police officer,” emphasizing that K-9s aren’t just tools, but part of the law-enforcement family.
Meanwhile, the manhunt intensified. A police helicopter spotted Ayala Alas hiding in thick, uneven brush near the I-5 freeway — still armed and dangerously close to homes. What followed was a joint operation involving Burbank and surrounding agencies, including additional K-9 teams, crisis negotiators, and a SWAT response. Officers attempted repeated negotiations and even deployed less-lethal systems to persuade him to surrender peacefully.
But those efforts failed. In what police describe as a final act of aggression, Ayala Alas fired at officers, striking police vehicles. Officers returned fire, fatally wounding him. A loaded handgun was recovered at the scene. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office officially identified him as Jose Domingo Ayala Alas.
According to the department, Ayala Alas was a documented member of the 18th Street gang and had previous arrests for weapons possession, including firearms.
As the community mourns, a small memorial has grown outside the Burbank Police Department headquarters in memory of Spike — the brave K-9 who lost his life trying to protect the public. Investigators have asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the Burbank Police Investigations Division.
Spike’s death — and the violent end to Saturday night’s chase — leaves behind a tangled mix of grief, respect, and unanswered questions. But for now, the facts are set: a traffic stop turned manhunt, a heroic dog struck down in service, a suspect identified, and lives forever changed.
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