STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) — 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 means of the streets of Stockton, armed with a handgun and probably trying to find one other sufferer, police mentioned.
Investigators started watching the suspect after receiving suggestions 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 mentioned 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’re certain we stopped one other killing,” he added.
It wasn’t instantly clear whether or not Brownlee had an legal professional to talk on his behalf. He was anticipated to be arraigned Tuesday on homicide expenses.
A police photograph confirmed the black-and-gray weapon allegedly carried by the suspect. It gave the impression to be a semi-automatic handgun containing some nonmetallic supplies.
Police had been trying to find a person clad in black who was caught on video at a number of of the crime scenes in Stockton, the place 5 males had been ambushed and shot to demise between July 8 and Sept. 27. 4 had 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 lady in Stockton per week later.
Investigators have mentioned ballistics assessments and video proof linked the crimes.
On the information convention, a second 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 yr however survived. The 5 males killed in Stockton this yr had 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 mentioned Brownlee has a felony 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 mentioned they acquired lots of of suggestions after asserting the manhunt, and investigators situated and watched the place the place Brownlee was residing.
“Primarily based on suggestions coming into the division and Stockton Crime Stoppers, we had been in a position to zero in on a doable suspect,” McFadden mentioned. “Our surveillance staff 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 gave the impression to be threatening habits, together with going to parks and darkish locations, stopping and searching round earlier than driving on.
Investigators had been making an attempt to determine a motive for the assaults. Police mentioned some victims had been homeless, however not all. None had been overwhelmed or robbed, and the girl who survived mentioned her attacker didn’t say something.
The police chief thanked varied native, state and federal businesses that took half within the investigation, together with the FBI, U.S. Marshals and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Native investigators had additionally labored with police in Chicago to find out whether or not the killings is likely to be linked to 2 2018 murders in that metropolis’s Rogers Park neighborhood. Authorities mentioned movies of suspects confirmed a person in black with a particular stroll.
Nonetheless, Chicago police mentioned Friday that there didn’t seem like any hyperlink.