A suspected serial killer in Stockton, Calif., was arrested on Saturday after police said they believed he was “out hunting” when he was arrested.
“We’re confident we’ve stopped another killing,” Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said at a news conference Saturday.
Wesley Brownlee, 43, has been arrested for the unprovoked murders of men aged 21 to 54 over the past few months. On Saturday, he was charged with homicide.
Police said surveillance teams followed Brownlee as he drove and stopped near Village Green Drive and Winslow Avenue around 2 a.m. Saturday.
Wesley Brownlee, 43, was arrested and charged with murder on Saturday, October 10. January 15, 2022. Authorities have linked him to a series of killings in Stockton, California.
Stockton Police Department
McFadden said: “Our surveillance team followed this man as he drove. We observed his pattern and it was determined early this morning; he was on a mission to kill. He was out hunting.”
McFadden added: “He was wearing dark clothing and a mask around his neck when police approached him. He was also detained with a firearm.”
Police said Brown will be arraigned on Tuesday and more charges may be laid.
The San Joaquin County medical examiner’s office identified the victim. Paul Yaw, 35, was killed on July 8; Salvador Debudey Jr., 43, died in August. 11; Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, was killed on August 8. 30; Juan Cruz, 52, was a September 21 victim; and Lawrence Lopez Sr., 54, was killed in September. 27.
The men were alone when they were shot, officials said. Police said all the killings took place in the evening or early morning.
Police said earlier this month that another shooting at 3:20 a.m. on April 16, 2021 on Park Street and Union Street in Stockton was also linked to the investigation. The woman survived that shooting, they said.
Police said the motive for the killing was unclear, but it was believed to be intentional.
ABC News’ Mark Osborne and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.