STOCKTON, Calif. — Residents of Stockton, California, could rest easy after the weekend arrest of a man suspected of killing six men and wounding a woman in a series of shootings in three months in Northern California, the mayor said on Sunday.
Mayor Kevin Lincoln said he was moved to tears when he was told that the suspect who police believe has been threatening Stockton since July was taken into custody around 2 on Saturday morning.
Wesley Brownlee was dressed in black, had a mask around his neck, had a gun and was “hunting” for another victim when he was arrested while driving around the Central Valley city, which The gunman appeared, the policeman Stanley Stanley. McFadden spoke at a press conference on Saturday.
“The city was able to sleep well last night,” Lincoln said Sunday morning. “No person in this city should walk around town looking over their shoulder in fear.”
The mayor thanked the people of Stockton who called in hundreds of tips to investigators that led to the arrest of the 43-year-old suspect.
It was not immediately clear Sunday whether Brownlee, of Stockton, has an attorney representing him. On Tuesday, he was expected to face the charge of murder.
“This person caused a lot of injuries, caused a lot of trouble,” Lincoln said. “My prayer, my hope, as mayor, is that our community begins to heal because of the serial killing.”
Police were looking for a man dressed in black who was caught on video at several crime scenes in Stockton, where five men were ambushed and shot between July 8 and September 27. Four were walking, and one was in the car park.
Police believe it is the same person responsible for killing a man 70 miles (113 kilometers) away in Oakland in April 2021 and wounding a homeless woman in Stockton a week later.
Investigators say ballistics tests and video evidence link the crimes. A police photo showed the black and gray weapon allegedly carried by the suspect. It appears to be a semi-automatic rifle with non-automatic components.
At the press conference on Saturday, 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 year but survived. The five men who died in Stockton this year are Paul Yaw, 35, who died on July 8; Salvador Debudey Jr., 43, died on August 11; Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, died on August 30; Juan Cruz, 52, died on September 21; and Lawrence Lopez Sr., 54, who died on September 27.
Police said Brownlee has a criminal history and is believed to have lived in several towns near Stockton, but did not release further details.
After receiving hundreds of tips, investigators tracked down Brownlee’s whereabouts.
“According to tips that came in from the department and Stockton Crime Stoppers, we were able to locate a possible suspect,” McFadden said. “Our surveillance team followed this individual while to drive.”
Investigators watched his patterns and realized he was going out to find another victim, the man said.
“We are confident that we have prevented another massacre,” he said.
McFadden added that Brownlee was taken into custody after he engaged in behavior that appeared to be threatening, including going to parks and dark areas, standing and looking around while the car did not start.
Investigators are still processing evidence and trying to determine the cause of the attacks, said Officer Joseph Silva, a police spokesman, on Sunday. Police said some of the victims were homeless, but not all. No one was beaten or robbed, and the woman who survived said the attacker did not say anything.
The police chief thanked the many national, state and federal agencies that participated in the investigation, including the FBI, U.S. Marshals and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Local investigators also worked with Chicago police to determine whether the murder may be connected to two murders in 2018 in the Rogers Park neighborhood of that city. Authorities said video footage of the suspects showed a man in black with a distinctive message.
However, Chicago police said Friday that there does not appear to be a connection.