Stockton police arrest serial murder suspect: 'We are sure we stopped another killing' - San Francisco Chronicle

Oct. 15, 2022Updated: Oct. 15, 2022 8:39 p.m.

The suspect, 43-year-old Wesley Brownlee, was arrested astir 2 a.m. portion connected a “mission to kill,” McFadden said. Brownlee was carrying a handgun and wearing acheronian clothing, with a disguise astir his neck.

The apprehension comes aft weeks of fearfulness and interest successful the metropolis of 320,000 radical located 80 miles eastbound of San Francisco. Since the constabulary announced 2 weeks agone that they believed determination was a transportation betwixt 5 killings and 1 attempted homicide, much than a twelve instrumentality enforcement agencies and a $125,000 reward person been successful spot to find the killer. A backstage Facebook leafage created to stock tips and explicit concerns astir the sidesplitting spree attracted astir 4,000 members.

This booking photograph provided by the Stockton Police Department shows Wesley Brownlee, from Stockton, Calif., who was arrested Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, successful transportation to a bid of shootings. Brownlee, suspected of sidesplitting six men and wounding a pistillate successful Northern California was arrested earlier dawn Saturday arsenic helium was seemingly searching for different victim, constabulary said. (Stockton Police Department via AP)

Associated Press

“This is an perfectly tremendous time successful the community,” said Renee Myers, a Stockton pistillate who runs the Facebook group. “Just proceeding the announcement that this monster has been apprehended and tin nary longer hunt and execution anyone successful our assemblage brings an unthinkable consciousness of relief.”

A pistillate relative of 1 of the victims messaged Myers close aft the apprehension announcement was made. The relative — who has been pursuing the Facebook leafage but did not privation to beryllium named — told Myers that the quality filled her with “a scope of antithetic emotions each wrapped into a choky shot including relief, anxiety, heavy sadness, overwhelming joyousness astatine him being captured and disconnected the streets.”

The apprehension came aft constabulary followed Brownlee arsenic helium was driving aboriginal Saturday greeting — convinced that helium was “out hunting,” McFadden said. Tips sent to the section had helped constabulary place Brownlee arsenic a imaginable suspect, according to McFadden, and constabulary began surveilling him.

The country wherever Brownlee was apprehended is successful a quiescent residential country adjacent to a park, akin to the spot wherever 1 of the serial killer's stateless victims was gunned down. Like the different homicides, it was successful the northbound extremity of town.

The Stockton killings that constabulary accidental are linked took spot betwixt July 8 and Sept. 27. In each lawsuit the shootings occured betwixt dusk and dawn. All 5 of the homicide unfortunate were male; 1 was achromatic and the others were Hispanic, and constabulary identified astir of them arsenic homeless.

Raymond Debudey holds a photograph of his member Salvador Debudey Jr. successful Stockton. Authorities judge a serial slayer murdered Debudey Jr. and astatine slightest 5 others.

Santiago Mejia, Staff / The Chronicle

Police person besides said that the caller killings are apt connected to a fatal shooting successful Oakland that occurred successful 2021.

Saturday, McFadden said Brownlee did person a transgression history, though the grade of that grounds was not clear. He besides did not accidental whether tips gathered by the Facebook leafage were portion of the assemblage effort that helped lick the crime, but acknowledged “we were precise blessed to see” it formed.

According to Myers, Brownlee had seemingly not been listed arsenic a fishy by radical members - she keeps fishy names backstage from the page. It was intolerable to tell, she said, if helium mightiness person signed successful utilizing a mendacious account. On Sunday, wrong minutes of the constabulary announcement, members of the Facebook radical were busily trying to find retired much astir Brownlee.

Following a infinitesimal of soundlessness for the victims, San Joaquin District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar said Brownlee volition beryllium arraigned successful tribunal connected Tuesday astatine 1:30 p.m, with charges to follow.

After identifying the fishy by name, Salazar stopped herself.

"I'm nary longer going to accidental his name,” Salazar said. “He doesn’t merit it.”

The archetypal unfortunate successful what constabulary picture arsenic a drawstring of related killings was Juan Miguel Vasquez Serrano, 40, who was changeable and killed successful Oakland successful April of 2021.

The remaining victims each died successful Stockton, opening with Paul Yaw, 35, who was killed connected July 8. Two men were killed successful August: Salvador Debudey Jr., 43, connected Aug. 11, and Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, connected Aug. 30. Juan Cruz, 52, was changeable to decease connected Sept. 21. The past known victim, 54-year-old Lawrence Lopez Sr., died connected Sept. 27.

“Your reign of panic has travel to an end,” said territory attorney-elect Ron Freitas, regarding the suspect. “As the incoming territory attorney, I look guardant to prosecuting him to the fullest grade of the law.”

Jordan Parker and Kevin Fagan are San Francisco Chronicle unit writers. Email: jordan.parker@sfchronicle.com, kfagan@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @jparkerwrites @KevinChronSF