STOCKTON, Calif. –
A person suspected of killing six males and wounding a lady in a sequence of shootings in Northern California was arrested earlier than daybreak Saturday as he drove by way of the streets of Stockton, armed with a handgun and presumably looking for one other sufferer, police stated.
Investigators started watching the suspect after receiving ideas and stopped him in a automobile at about 2 a.m. within the Central Valley metropolis, the place 5 of the shootings came about, Police Chief Stanley McFadden stated at a information convention.
Wesley Brownlee, 43, of Stockton, was wearing black, had a masks round his neck, had a gun and “was out searching,” McFadden alleged.
“We are certain we stopped one other killing,” he added.
It wasn’t instantly clear whether or not Brownlee had an lawyer to talk on his behalf. He was anticipated to be arraigned Tuesday on assassination costs.
A police picture confirmed the black-and-gray weapon allegedly carried by the suspect. It seemed to be a semi-automatic handgun containing some nonmetallic supplies.
Police had been looking for a person clad in black who was caught on video at a number of of the crime scenes in Stockton, the place 5 males have been ambushed and shot to loss of life between July 8 and Sept. 27. Four have been strolling, and one was in a parked automobile.
Police consider the identical particular person was liable for killing a person 70 miles away in Oakland in April 2021 and wounding a homeless girl in Stockton every week later.
Investigators have stated ballistics assessments and video proof linked the crimes.
At the information convention, a moment of silence was held for the victims.
Juan Vasquez Serrano, 39, was killed in Oakland on April 10, 2021, and Natasha LaTour, 46, was shot in Stockton on April 16 of that 12 months however survived. The 5 males killed in Stockton this 12 months have been Paul Yaw, 35, who died July 8; Salvador Debudey Jr., 43, who died Aug. 11; Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, who died Aug. 30; Juan Cruz, 52, who died Sept. 21; and Lawrence Lopez Sr., 54, who died Sept. 27.
Police stated Brownlee has a legal historical past and is believed to have additionally lived in a number of cities close to Stockton, however they didn’t give additional particulars.
Authorities stated they acquired lots of of ideas after saying the manhunt, and investigators situated and watched the place the place Brownlee was residing.
“Based on ideas coming into the division and Stockton Crime Stoppers, we have been capable of zero in on a attainable suspect,” McFadden stated. “Our surveillance group adopted this particular person whereas he was driving. We watched his patterns and decided early this morning, he was on a mission to kill.”
McFadden added that Brownlee was detained after partaking in what seemed to be threatening behaviour, together with going to parks and darkish locations, stopping and searching round earlier than driving on.
Investigators have been attempting to establish a motive for the assaults. Police stated some victims have been homeless, however not all. None have been crushed or robbed, and the lady who survived stated her attacker did not say something.
The police chief thanked numerous native, state and federal companies that took half within the investigation, together with the FBI, U.S. Marshals and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Local investigators had additionally labored with police in Chicago to find out whether or not the killings could be linked to 2 2018 murders in that metropolis’s Rogers Park neighborhood. Authorities stated movies of suspects confirmed a person in black with a particular stroll.
However, Chicago police stated Friday that there did not seem like any hyperlink.