Suspect in Stockton serial killings is charged in 4 more fatal shootings
The man accused in a series of killings in Northern California that spanned more than a year was charged with four additional murders and an attempted murder this week by the San Joaquin County district attorney.
Wesley Brownlee, 43, had been charged in October with the murders of Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez on Aug. 30, Juan Cruz on Sept. 21, and Lawrence Lopez Sr. on Sept. 27. All of the killings occurred in Stockton.
On Tuesday, the district attorney’s office announced that Brownlee has also been charged with the murders of Juan Alexander Vasquez and Mervin Harmon in Alameda County in April 2021 and the Stockton murders of Paul Alexander Yaw on July 8 and Salvador Debudey Jr. on Aug. 11.
He was also charged with the attempted murder of Natasha LaTour in Stockton in April 2021.
Authorities have arrested a suspect but released few details about a motive or other information. That has left many in Stockton with questions.
LaTour, who was homeless at the time of the incident, was shot multiple times but survived.
Brownlee, a truck driver, was arrested in the early morning hours of Oct. 15 at a park on Stockton’s north side. Police officials said that Brownlee had been “hunting” and that his arrest had prevented another murder.
The arrest came weeks after Stockton police said they’d found connections among five late-night and early-morning fatal shootings that had occurred in the city beginning in July.
All of the shootings appeared unprovoked, and the victims were alone when shot.
Police later said that additional shootings from 2021, including a fatal incident in Oakland and the attempted murder of LaTour in Stockton, were also linked.
The killing of Vasquez on April 10, 2021, is the earliest incident linked to Brownlee, according to court records.
Both the slaying of Harmon and the shooting of LaTour occurred on April 16, 2021.
Brownlee is set to appear in court on Jan. 3 for arraignment on the new charges.
Brownlee’s listed attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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