Serial killer arrested in ‘hunting for the next victim’, now linked to 7 murders
A serial killer recently arrested on the hunt for his next victim has been linked to four other murders, prosecutors said.
When Wesley Brownlee was arrested on October 15, investigators had only enough evidence to charge him with three counts of murder.
On Tuesday, San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar charged him with four additional deaths and one attempted murder dating back to April 2021.
Brownlee was originally charged with three murders that took place in August and September. The victims were identified as Jonathan Rodriguez Hernandez, Juan Cruz and Lawrence Lopez Sr.
Additional evidence has now linked him to two deaths from earlier in Stockton in the summer of 2022: the murders of Paul Yaw and Salvador Debudey Jr.
He was also charged with two 2021 murders in Alameda County. These victims were identified as Juan Alexander Vasquez and Mervin Harmon.
Mervin Harmon’s death had not previously been linked to Brownlee, and few details about the victim have been released so far.
He was also charged with the attempted murder of Natasha LaTour, which took place in San Joaquin County.
“We would like to thank the community for their support and law enforcement for their diligent investigation and arrest of the suspect,” prosecutors said on Tuesday.
Police searched for months to identify Brownlee for several seemingly random murders were linked in the Northern California town of Stockton.
He was eventually arrested in the early hours of October 1st. Brownlee was found roaming the streets of Stockton, where police believe he was on the hunt for his next victim. He wore dark clothing, a mask and was armed with a pistol.
“We observed his patterns and determined this morning that he was on a mission to kill,” Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said when Brownlee was first arrested.
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https://metro.co.uk/2022/12/28/serial-killer-arrested-while-hunting-for-next-victim-now-tied-to-7-slayings-18007852/ Serial killer arrested in 'hunting for the next victim', now linked to 7 murders