A suspected serial killer was taken into custody in Stockton, California during an early Saturday morning traffic stop.
Wesley Brownlee, 43, is suspected of shooting five men in Stockton and a sixth man in Oakland. Police believe a woman who was shot and wounded in April 2021 was an intended victim of the suspect. His most recent homicide happened in September.
Police Chief Stanley McFadden said at a news conference that Brownlee was “out hunting” when he was apprehended. He believes they “stopped another killing.”
“Our surveillance team followed this person while he was driving. We watched his patterns and determined early this morning he was on a mission to kill,” McFadden said at a news conference. “He was out hunting.”
Brownlee was pulled over at about 2 a.m. while wearing dark clothing and a mask around his neck. Police told KCRA that he had a firearm in his waistband.
According to McFadden, Brownlee was identified as a suspect in the killings through tips from the community. He had been under surveillance at the time he was brought into custody.
He was booked on a homicide charge, but the district attorney’s office is working on what other charges will be filed against Brownlee. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
It is believed that the suspect acted alone, but investigators are unsure of the motive behind the homicides.
The San Joaquin County’s Office of the Medical Examiner identified the victims as Paul Yaw, 35; Salvador Debudey Jr., 43; Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21; Juan Cruz, 52; and Lawrence Lopez Sr., 54. All the shootings occurred late at night or early in the morning.
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