Suspected serial killer arrested because police believe he is behind a string of California murders
BREAKING NEWS: Suspected serial killer, 43, arrested while hunting new victims as police believe he is behind a string of shocking California murders
- California killer has been linked to seven deaths since 2021
- Whitaker, 43, was taken into custody around 2 a.m. Saturday morning, while authorities say he was looking for his next murder.
- Five of the seven victims were Hispanic, though police say it’s unclear whether the killer was motivated by race
- Stockton mayor says community families ‘need to get some rest tonight’
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California police say they have caught a suspected serial killer responsible for a handful of murders that have haunted the Stockton and Oakland areas.
Authorities say they detained the suspect, identified as Wesley Brownlee, 43, just as he was about to claim another life.
Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said on Saturday: “Early this morning he was on a mission to kill, he was on the hunt.”
He was wearing dark clothes and a mask around his neck. He was also armed with a firearm when he was arrested. We’re sure we’ve stopped another murder,’ he continued.’
Brownlee is suspected of terrorizing the community for more than a year.
Wesley Brownlee, 43, was arrested early Saturday morning by Stockton Police. He is suspected of killing at least seven people in the past 18 months
Police say Brownlee was on the hunt for a new victim when he was arrested early Saturday. His alleged victims were all shot dead
His first suspected murder occurred on April 21, and his most recent “hunt” occurred less than a month before his arrest.
He is now in custody and will be arraigned on Tuesday afternoon.
McFadden said his agents were able to make a breakthrough in the case thanks to “community tips” and “good old-fashioned policing.”
Authorities have so far linked six deaths from firearms in California cities to one killer since early 2021.
Law enforcement officers described Brownlee’s killing as a “reign of terror.” Only one of his alleged victims survived the shooting.
The first of his victims was 39-year-old Miguel Vasquez Serrano, who died in East Oakland last April.
The next victim was not killed until early July this summer.
Paul Yaw, 35, died on July 8; Salvador Debudey Jr., 43, died on August 11; Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, died on August 30; and Juan Cruz, 52, died on Sept. 21.
His most recent alleged murder was of Lawrence Lopez Sr., who died on September 27.
Five of the killer’s seven victims were Hispanic, but it remains unclear whether they were targeted because of their race. Some victims were homeless, others were not.
None of the victims had been robbed or beaten prior to their murder, and no one seemed to know each other.
Moreover, according to the police, the murders did not appear to be gang-related or drug-related.
Police don’t know the motive yet, but say they think the killer is ‘mission-oriented’.
Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln said on Saturday after the arrest that members of the community “should be able to rest a little more tonight.”
“I want to make this very clear, to the people of Stockton, to the United States and around the world. When the people of Stockton come together and we unite, we can get things done. Stockton is going to be a place where people can live, raise a family and grow a business,” he said.
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