More details are coming out today about the fatal shooting in southern California, over the weekend, which left two police officers dead.
The Palm Springs officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call on Saturday. The man inside was a known gang member with a violent criminal past. He opened fire on the officers when they came to the door– killing two of them.
Investigators say 26-year-old John Felix shot and killed Officer Lesley Zerebny, who had just returned to work from maternity leave. The 27-year old mother was married to a sheriff’s deputy, the father of her four-month old baby. The other victim was 63-year-old Gil Vega, a father of eight, who was set to retire from the force in December.
Felix emerged from the ensuing standoff with law enforcement wearing body armor and had several high-capacity ammo magazines after police deployed tear gas.
According to Fox News, Felix’s father told a neighbor that his son was “acting crazy,” had a gun, and wanted to shoot police. The suspect’s father reportedly told that same neighbor that his son knew the police were coming and “he is going to shoot them.”
Felix was arrested early Sunday, after a 12-hour standoff. This was not his first run-in with the law.
Back in 2009, Felix was sentenced to four years in prison for attempted murder. Several years ago, police were called to the same home Felix shared with his parents in the desert resort city, 100 miles east of Los Angeles.
He’s expected to be charged tomorrow with first degree murder and several other felony counts. Prosecutors will also reportedly decide, in the next two weeks, if he will face the death penalty.
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