Arrest Made in Stockton Serial Killer Case - NBC Bay Area

A antheral suspected of sidesplitting six men and wounding a pistillate successful a bid of shootings successful Northern California was arrested earlier dawn Saturday arsenic helium drove done the streets of Stockton, equipped with a handgun and perchance searching for different victim, constabulary said.

Investigators began watching the fishy aft receiving tips and stopped him successful a car astatine astir 2 a.m. successful the Central Valley city, wherever 5 of the shootings took place, Police Chief Stanley McFadden said astatine a quality conference.

Wesley Brownlee, 43, of Stockton, was dressed successful black, had a disguise astir his neck, had a weapon and “was retired hunting,” McFadden alleged.

“We are definite we stopped different killing,” helium added.

Police had been searching for a antheral clad successful achromatic who was caught connected video astatine respective of the transgression scenes successful Stockton, wherever 5 men were ambushed and changeable to decease betwixt July 8 and Sept. 27. Four were walking, and 1 was successful a parked car.

Police judge the aforesaid idiosyncratic was liable for sidesplitting a antheral 70 miles distant successful Oakland successful April 2021 and wounding a stateless pistillate successful Stockton a week later.

Investigators person said ballistics tests and video grounds linked the crimes.

At the quality conference, a infinitesimal of soundlessness was held for the victims.

Juan Vasquez Serrano, 39, was killed successful Oakland connected April 10, 2021, and Natasha LaTour, 46, was changeable successful Stockton connected April 16 of that twelvemonth but survived. The 5 men killed successful Stockton this twelvemonth were 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 said Brownlee has a transgression past and is believed to person besides lived successful respective cities adjacent Stockton, but they did not springiness further details.

Authorities said they received hundreds of tips aft announcing the manhunt, and investigators located and watched the spot wherever Brownlee was living.

“Based connected tips coming into the section and Stockton Crime Stoppers, we were capable to zero successful connected a imaginable suspect,” McFadden said. “Our surveillance squad followed this idiosyncratic portion helium was driving. We watched his patterns and determined aboriginal this morning, helium was connected a ngo to kill.”

McFadden added that Brownlee was detained aft engaging successful what appeared to beryllium threatening behavior, including going to parks and acheronian places, stopping and looking astir earlier driving on.

Investigators were trying to place a motive for the attacks. Police said immoderate victims were homeless, but not all. None were beaten oregon robbed, and the pistillate who survived said her attacker didn’t accidental anything.

The constabulary main thanked assorted local, authorities and national agencies that took portion successful the investigation, including the FBI, U.S. Marshals and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Local investigators had besides worked with constabulary successful Chicago to find whether the killings mightiness beryllium linked to 2 2018 murders successful that city’s Rogers Park neighborhood. Authorities said videos of suspects showed a antheral successful achromatic with a distinctive walk.

However, Chicago constabulary said Friday that determination didn’t look to beryllium immoderate link.