Stockton Police Arrest Suspected Serial Killer

The Stockton Police Department arrested a suspect in connection with a recent string of killings in the area. Stockton resident Wesley Brownlee, 43, was arrested on Saturday, as The New York Times reports.

Brownlee was apprehended while he was “out hunting” for another victim, the chief of Stockton Police Department Stanley McFadden announced at a press conference.

“We watched his patterns and determined early this morning he was on a mission to kill. He was out hunting,” McFadden said, via ABC 10. The suspect was stopped by authorities around 2 a.m. on Saturday. He added: ” We’re sure we stopped another killing.”

Five of the victims were fatally shot between July 8 and Sept. 27, while they were alone in dark areas at night. None of the male victims, who were between the ages of 21 and 54, appeared to know each other and they were not robbed or beaten before the killings. Four of the men were Hispanic, the other was white. An additional two victims were linked to the case that occurred earlier. A 40-year-old Hispanic man was killed in Oakland, CA on April 10, and a 46-year-old Black woman was shot on April 16 and survived.

The woman who survived told authorities she heard someone outside of her tent, and when she went to investigate, she saw someone dressed in dark clothing and a mask pointing a gun at her. She rushed the person and was shot multiple times, Chief McFadden said.

Earlier this month, authorities announced they may be looking for a “potential serial killer” after the investigation connected ballistic and video evidence, and they released a still image of a person of interest.

Brownlee will be arraigned on Tuesday, where officials will announce charges.