A suspect in the killing of two Palm Springs police officers and wounding a third was arrested early Sunday, 12 hours after a domestic disturbance call resulted in a shootout.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department identified the suspect as John Felix, a 26-year-old resident of Palm Springs. He surrendered peacefully to sheriff’s SWAT members and was treated at a local hospital for non life-threatening injuries.
Felix had a criminal past, having been sentenced to four years in prison for an attempted murder scheme in 2009, according to the Desert Sun newspaper based in Palm Springs. The newspaper identified Felix as a known gang member.
The officers killed were 63-year-old Jose Gilbert Vega, a 35-year department veteran, and 27-year-old Lesley Zerebny, who had been with the department for a year-and-a-half and who had recently given birth, Palm Springs Police Chief Bryan Reyes said.
“My employees are broken,” Reyes said. “If there was ever a time to pray for the Palm Springs Police Department, it is now.”
Vega could have retired from the department five years ago after 30 years of service, the chief said. He submitted paperwork to retire in December. “After 35 years he was still pushing a patrol car on a day he wasn’t even supposed to work.”
Vega was the married father of eight children.
Zerebny had been at the department 1 1/2 years and recently returned to work after giving birth to a daughter four months ago, Reyes said.
In her first two weeks on the job she found a wanted murder suspect from the Los Angeles area.
“Officers Vega and Zerebny were killed today doing what they do every day – protecting their community,” said Gov. Jerry Brown. “We grieve with the family members, friends and fellow officers coping with this senseless tragedy. Anne and I join all Californians in offering our heartfelt condolences.”
The officer who was injured was hospitalized and was “alert and doing well.”
The shooting happened at about 1 p.m. at a house in the 2700 block of Cypress Avenue in Palm Springs, according to Reyes.
Police had been responding to a family disturbance, according to officials who said the suspect emerged from a house and began firing.
‘It was a simple family disturbance and he elected to open fire,’ Reyes said.
The house where the shooting took place was surrounded by the Riverside County SWAT team and a perimeter of several blocks was set up, police said.
Dozens of law enforcement personnel responded to the scene from multiple agencies, including the Hemet and the San Jacinto police departments, as well as Riverside County sheriff’s deputies.
The surrounding neighborhoods near the shooting were evacuated, authorities said.
City News Service contributed to this article.
