San Diego
Two suspects were arrested Wednesday night in connection with the Christmas Eve shooting death of a man in Stockton, Calif., after which the killers set the victim on fire in a 50-gallon oil drum filled with gasoline to dispose of the body, police said.
Leroy Madsen, 33, and Michelle Stubblefield, 29, were arrested at 5 p.m. after detectives from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department and the San Diego Police Department served a search warrant at the hotel where they were staying at 13th and Market streets. The couple had been in San Diego about five days, police said.
The two were arrested in the death of Russell Wedge, 39. After Wedge was killed, police said he was wrapped in a blanket with ropes and carried a few days inside a car. The body was then stuffed head-first into a 50-gallon oil drum full of gas, placed inside a rented truck and set afire.
The suspects were scheduled to be transferred to Stockton Thursday night to face charges there, police said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
