STOCKTON, California –
A man suspected of killing six men and injuring a woman in a series of shootings in Northern California has a history of traffic violations and drug offenses, authorities say. on Monday.
Stockton police arrested Wesley Brownlee, 43, on Saturday after checking him out as he drove through the city streets armed with a handgun and possibly “hunting” for a victim. another person, police said.
In January 1999, Brownlee was sentenced to two years in prison in Alameda County, which includes the city of Oakland, for possession and sale of a controlled substance, the California department of corrections said. He was paroled in August 1999 after serving a seven-month sentence.
Brownlee was again convicted in Alameda County in December 2001 and sentenced to three years for the same charges. He was paroled in May 2003 and paroled three years later.
Elisa Bubak, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, said prosecutors in San Joaquin County, including Stockton, worked Monday with the city’s police department to review evidence and tentative will file charges on Tuesday, said Elisa Bubak, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office.
It was not immediately known if Brownlee had an attorney who could comment on her behalf.
Court documents show he was first arrested at age 15 in Alameda County on suspicion of selling crack cocaine and placed under house arrest, The East Bay Times reported.
In 1997, at the age of 18, Brownlee was arrested again and charged with cocaine possession and sentenced to three years of probation. A year later, his suspended sentence was revoked after he sold cocaine to an undercover cop, and in 1999 he was sentenced to two years in state prison and sent to San Quentin, the newspaper. news.
Brownlee grew up in Oakland, just six blocks from where the Oakland victim was killed, the East Bay Times reported, citing court records. All of the Stockton murders happened near the addresses listed for Brownlee and his relatives, KXTV-TV reported.
Investigators said ballistics tests and video evidence were linked to the crimes. A police photo shows the black and gray weapon the suspect was carrying. It appears to be a semi-automatic pistol that contains some non-metallic material.
Police said after Brownlee’s arrest that he was wearing black, a mask around his neck and a handgun, and was possibly looking for another victim when he was arrested driving around Stockton, where 5 man was ambushed and shot dead between 8 July and 27 September. Four of the victims were walking, and one was in a parked car.
Police believe it was the shooter who caused the April 2021 murder in Oakland, about 70 miles (110 km) away, and the wounding of the woman in Stockton a week later.
At Saturday’s press conference, 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 killed in Stockton this year are Paul Yaw, 35, who died on July 8; Salvador Debudey Jr., 43 years old, died on 11 August; Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21 years old, died August 30; Juan Cruz, 52 years old, died September 21; and Lawrence Lopez Sr., 54, died September 27.
After receiving hundreds of tips, investigators located and tracked down where Brownlee was living. They observed his samples, determined he was out looking for another victim and arrested him, authorities said.
Police said some of the victims were homeless, but not all. No one was beaten or robbed, and the woman who survived said her attacker said nothing.
