Manhunt for gunman who killed 1, injured 2 deputies in California high desert enters 6th day
Bakersfield police officers discuss search strategy with a Kern County sheriff’s deputy during a search for a suspected killer.
Authorities believe a gunman wanted for killing a dentist, kidnapping three men and wounding two Kern County sheriff’s deputies is hiding out in a remote five-square-mile area east of Bakersfield.
But there have been no sightings of the gunman in the remote region east of Bakersfield centered at Jawbone Canyon and Kelso Valley roads in Weldon.
“We are not losing sight of what our mission is, to find this individual before something else happens,” said Ray Pruitt, a spokesman for the Kern County Sheriff’s Department.
With the manhunt entering its sixth day Wednesday, more than 75 deputies have continued combing the isolated wilderness centered at Jawbone Canyon and Kelso Valley roads in Weldon for signs of the man, believed to be camouflaged in olive-green apparel.
On the chance the unidentified man may not be found, Pruitt said, “There is that possibility.”
But deputies have not talked about suspending the search.
“We are focused and are motivated to find this suspect,” he said.
The search began Friday, a day after the body of retired dentist David Louis Markiewitz was found in a cabin in Weldon.
Authorities believe the man’s violence began July 28 when he held a 19-year-old man and two 20-year-old men captive for an hour in a cabin near Twin Oaks. One of the victims owned the cabin, where authorities believe the gunman had been squatting.
The three men eventually escaped when the gunman stepped outside. The gunman is believed to have stolen the men’s off-road vehicle, which was found the next day about two miles from the cabin.
Officials suspect the gunman hiked over the Piute Mountains, possibly using the Pacific Crest Trail, to arrive in Weldon, 10 miles away.
Markiewitz, 64, of Tehachapi, was found Thursday shot to death in his cabin. SWAT deputies searched the area Friday but didn’t find the suspect and continued looking for him Saturday.
At 8:30 p.m. Saturday, the gunman fired at SWAT deputies on a remote property near Kelso Valley and Jawbone Canyon roads, Pruitt said. SWAT deputies returned fire, but it was unclear if the man was struck, Pruitt said.
During the exchange of gunfire, Deputy Michael Booker was shot in both arms and Deputy Jose Perez was grazed by a bullet.
The attack launched a massive search effort, requiring deputies to use off-road vehicles to scour the rugged terrain. Residents were on edge and nearby schools were closed.
The gunman is described as white with blue eyes, 30 to 35 years old, and wearing glasses and a brown corduroy cap. He has long, brown hair and was “dirty in appearance,” officials said.
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