Dorner could be in Mexico — and may have had help

A couple of intriguing points are contained in the federal court criminal complaint filed last week against rogue ex-LAPD cop Christopher Dorner. An affidavit in the case reflected what authorities thought at the time, according to the LA Times, and might not be what they currently think.

First, the feds decided there was probable cause to suspect that Dorner had crossed the border into Mexico. Dorner reportedly had told the boat owner he tried to rob last week in San Diego that he could recover his boat in Mexico, and Dorner's ID was later found "at the San Ysidro crossing." But this was all before Dorner later is thought to have fired on two LAPD officers in Corona and killed Riverside police officer Michael Crain.

The affidavit, by the way, said that Crain and his partner were shot while looking for Dorner following the Corona shooting. Reports previously said the two Riverside officers were just stopped at a red light when Dorner drove up and opened fire.

The court filing added a new, intriguing wrinkle to the Big Bear search that has been going on. According to the Times account of the federal affidavit, investigators with the Marine Corps and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department were already conducting a surveillance operation of a property owned by a family member of a Dorner associate — then they discovered the suspect's gray Nissan pickup truck burning nearby.

The criminal complaint identifies the associate as "J.Y." and does not describe their relationship. Marine Corps investigators had "been tracking the movements of J.Y., a known associate of Dorner," when the truck was discovered.