Victims, suspect in Moreno Valley shootings identified
Authorities have identified the man they believe is responsible for an outburst of violence in Moreno Valley on Tuesday that left two people dead and a sheriff’s deputy injured.
Alex Anderson, 34, allegedly killed Wilma Patterson, 74, and Derek Hardy, 58, Riverside County sheriff’s Deputy Alberto Martinez confirmed.
Patterson, whom relatives identified as a grandmother of 12, was shot dead at a Shell gas station near Sunnymead Ranch Parkway and Old Lake Drive about 2:25 p.m. Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots, the Riverside Press Enterprise reported.
An officer who confronted the suspect was wounded after Anderson allegedly fired at him with an assault rifle. The officer was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, authorities said.
At approximately 3:54 p.m., police responded to a call in the 25000 block of Delphinium Avenue, where they found Hardy’s body. Relatives have said Patterson was Hardy’s mother-in-law.
Officials have declined to comment on whether Anderson knew his alleged victims, only acknowledging the two homicides are connected.
Anderson’s body was found with an AR-15 assault rifle nearby after an overnight manhunt Wednesday near Pigeon Pass, authorities said.
His body was found after one of 300 remote surveillance cameras outfitted in Moreno Valley caught his vehicle fleeing the scene.
For breaking news in Los Angeles and the Southland, follow @debbietruong or email her at debbie.truong@latimes.com.
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