How CA's Serial Killer Suspect Was Found: What We Know

STOCKTON, CA — For months, residents of a Northern California city have lived under a shadow of fear as a suspected serial killer ran amuck. And as Monday arrived, more questions than answers remained about how a man— now behind bars— may have come to commit a series of crimes.

Here’s a breakdown of what we know.

Over the weekend, California authorities arrested a 43-year-old man who is suspected of killing six men and wounding a woman in a string of shootings over three months in Stockton.

Wesley Brownlee was taken into custody at 2 a.m. Saturday after he was spotted driving around Stockton, where five of the shootings took place, according to Stockton police Chief Stanley McFadden.

Brownlee was wearing all black with a mask around his neck and was armed with a handgun at the time of his arrest. Police believe he was "out hunting" for another possible victim while driving around the Central Valley city.

Little has been released about the person now suspected to be behind the deadly shootings or the possible motive behind the killing spree.

On Monday, correctional authorities said Brownlee has a criminal history that includes two convictions for drug crimes, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

He was convicted of possessing and selling a controlled substance in Alameda County in January 1999, and again convicted of the same crime in 2001, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Chronicle reported.

Brownlee served seven months before he was released on parole in August of 1999, but he returned to serve another three years after the second conviction. He was released on parole in May 2003, according to the newspaper.
Brownlee was again booked into custody on Saturday, but this time under felony charges including homicide and carrying a concealed weapon.

Police have scoured the town and region for clues that might lead to the arrest of a suspect. Over the past three months, investigators have been tracking a man seen in several videos of crime scenes in Stockton. Between July 8 and Sept. 27, five men were ambushed in the dark.

Authorities suspect the possible serial killer was targeting those experiencing homelessness. But investigators were still trying to identify a motive for the series of shootings. Officer Joseph Silva said some victims were homeless, but not all. None were beaten or robbed and the woman who survived being attacked reported the shooter did not say a word.

Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln credited residents of Stockton who called in hundreds of tips to investigators that eventually led to the arrest of Brownlee.

After community tips, investigators started watching the place where Brownlee was living.

“Based on tips coming into the department and Stockton Crime Stoppers, we were able to zero in on a possible suspect,” McFadden said. “Our surveillance team followed this person while he was driving."

The chief said police watched his patterns and determined that he was out searching for a new victim on Saturday morning.

“We are sure we stopped another killing,” the chief said.

Brownlee was detained after engaging in what appeared to be threatening behavior, including going to parks and dark places, stopping and looking around before driving on, police said.

Investigators used ballistics tests and video evidence to link the shootings, while grainy police and surveillance footage revealed a black-and-gray weapon carried by the suspect. It appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun.

At Saturday’s news 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 were Paul Yaw, 35, who died July 8; Salvador Debudey Jr., 43, who died Aug. 11; Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, who died Aug. 30; Juan Cruz, 52, who died Sept. 21; and Lawrence Lopez Sr., 54, who died Sept. 27.

“The city was able to sleep a little bit better last night,” Lincoln said Sunday morning. “No resident of this city should have to walk around town looking over their shoulder in fear.”

It remains unclear whether Brownlee had an attorney to speak on his behalf yet. His arraignment was scheduled for Tuesday on homicide charges.

“This person caused a lot of hurt, caused a lot of trauma,” Lincoln said. “My prayer, my hope, as mayor is that our community begins the process of healing as a result of the serial killings.”

Although a suspect has been arrested, police said the investigation was ongoing. Residents with information are encouraged to contact the station's tip line at 209-937-8167. Information can also be emailed to policetips@stocktonca.gov.

As authorities combed Northern California for the person responsible for the string of deaths, the families connected and the medical examiner's office worked to identify the first five victims, which were all men.

"Men are rarely the victims, unless they are vulnerable in some way (such as the homeless) or part of a marginalized group (gay men or drug users, for example). So this is somewhat unusual," Jane Monckton-Smith, professor of public protection at the University of Gloucestershire in the U.K., told Newsweek.

David Wilson, a professor emeritus of criminology at Birmingham City University in the U.K., told Newsweek he didn't necessarily suspect that she survived because she was shot at mistakenly.

"I think she was just lucky," he said. "She was fortunate. But then, the fortune now favors the police, because they've got some indication by being able to interview her as to the circumstances in which she came to be shot."

Monckton-Smith also previously told Newsweek that the suspect is likely to "[have] good local knowledge, able to be out at night without attracting comment, [and has a] possible history of domestic abuse or control in relationships."

READ MORE: CA's Possible Serial Killer: 5 Things To Know

The Associated Press contributed to this report.