Suspect in Murder of Arson Official Dies in Shoot-Out

The prime suspect in the murder of an Orange County Fire Department arson investigator and the wounding of a woman was killed Sunday by U.S. Customs officers who tried to detain him as he returned to the United States, authorities said.

San Diego Police Lt. William Skinner said K.C. Janulaitis, 42, of San Clemente was shot once in the head shortly before noon when he opened fire on two U.S. Customs agents who tried to detain him at the San Ysidro border crossing.

Janulaitis was wanted in connection with the murder of Dennis J. Donelson, 46, and the wounding of Barbara Lynn Clark, 31, at her San Juan Capistrano apartment in the 26500 block of Camino de Vista early Saturday.

Donelson was pronounced dead at Mission Community Hospital in Mission Viejo, where he underwent surgery for a single gunshot wound to the lower abdomen. Clark, who was shot once in the side, was in fair condition Sunday at the same hospital, a spokeswoman said Sunday.

Orange County authorities said the double shooting occurred at 1:30 a.m. Saturday when a man fired several shots into an open bedroom window.

Clark told neighbors who rushed to her aid that Janulaitis had fired the shots. Neighbors Scott and Yvonne Bates also said they saw a silver Chevrolet Camaro, which Clark had said belonged to the suspect, leaving the apartment complex after they heard gunshots and Clark’s screams for help.

Skinner said the Customs agents stopped Janulaitis at 11:20 a.m. on a routine inspection as he attempted to reenter the United States. He said a computer check of the silver Camaro that Janulaitis was driving alerted agents that he was wanted and presumed to be armed and dangerous.

“At that point, he fired at the agents and the agents returned fire,” Skinner said.

After the exchange of gunfire, in which the suspect was hit once in the head, Skinner said Janulaitis sped away while Customs agents, San Diego police and U.S. Border Patrol agents pursued him on a freeway. A mile into the chase, Janulaitis’ car swerved and crashed down an embankment, Skinner said.

Skinner said the suspect was airlifted to UC San Diego Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Orange County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Russ Elsner said Janulaitis was positively identified through a fingerprint check.

Meanwhile, Orange County Fire Department officials said Sunday that Donelson was on duty when he was killed but declined to elaborate on why he was in Clark’s apartment.

The Bates couple, who treated Clark before an ambulance arrived, said Clark had told them that she and Donelson were investigating Janulaitis as a suspect in the burning of a building she owned.

But neither the Sheriff’s Department nor the Orange County Fire Department would confirm Sunday that Donelson indeed was investigating Janulaitis’ possible involvement in an arson case. They would say only that Donelson was on duty at the time of his death.

Careful on Details

A high-ranking Fire Department officer, who spoke on condition that his name not be used, said department officials were being very circumspect about details of their investigation into Donelson’s murder.

“All I can say is that, internally, they are keeping it very close to the vest,” the officer said. “There is a very intense investigation going on . . . very intense.”

Elsner, the Sheriff’s Department spokesman, said Clark had not been questioned by investigators.

Donelson, who was born in Long Beach, began his fire service with the Palos Verdes Estates Fire Department. He later spent 14 years as a firefighter and battalion chief with the Seal Beach Fire Department.

For the past four years, Donelson had been a fire inspector and arson investigator with the county, Fire Department officials said Sunday.

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn, who lived with him in Seal Beach, and their children, Dean, 23, of Long Beach and daughters Debra, 20, and Jensina, 8, both of Seal Beach.

Donelson will be buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Times staff writer Leonard Bernstein contributed to this story from San Diego.