DailyExpertNews
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California authorities arrested a man on Saturday in connection with a series of murders that left six people dead.
The suspect, Wesley Brownlee, 43, was followed by a police surveillance team who determined around 2 a.m. Saturday that he was “on the hunt” and “on a mission to kill,” Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said at a news conference.
“His patterns matched some of the patterns we’ve seen,” McFadden said. “(He was) around parks, around dark places, stopping, looking around, moving again. And at the time, we thought it was best for the safety of the public to include this person.”
Brownlee was wearing dark clothing, had a mask around his neck and had a firearm when he was arrested, the police chief said.
“We are sure we have stopped another murder,” the police chief said.
The suspect has a criminal history, McFadden said, but added he was unsure of the extent of which history or with which agencies.
The police chief had no motive for the murders.
Stockton Police previously said they believe five murders in the city between July 8 and September 27 were linked. All five victims were alone and were shot in the evening or early morning hours, authorities said. Four of the victims were Hispanic men, ages 21 to 54, and the fifth was a 35-year-old white male.
And two predawn shootings from 2021 were also linked to the string of attacks, police said earlier this month: a fatal shooting on April 10, 2021 of a 40-year-old Hispanic man in Oakland and an April 16, 2021 shooting in Stockton of a 46 year-old black woman who survived.
What do we know about the murders?
Authorities announced last week that the reward for information leading to an arrest has been increased to $115,000. Tips from the community helped police catch the suspect, officials said at Saturday’s news conference.
“To the community, thank you for all you’ve done. Thank you for your efforts, thank you for practicing your voice, thank you for submitting the hundreds of tips that come in every day,” Stockton Mayor Kevin J. Lincoln said.
“This would not have been possible and today would not have been possible without you,” the mayor added.
San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar said deputy prosecutors are currently reviewing the evidence “as we speak” and working to determine the charges the office will file.
Brownlee was held in the county jail without bail, according to San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office prison records.
The suspect will be arraigned Tuesday afternoon, Salazar said. There will be another press conference afterward, where officials will announce the charges, the prosecutor added.