Stockton serial killer arrested, ‘on a killing spree’

A suspected serial killer was arrested Saturday in the California town of Stockton, and police say they believe he was on the “hunt” when he was caught.

“We’re confident we’ve stopped another homicide,” Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said at a news conference Saturday.

Wesley Brownlee, 43, was arrested in connection with six unprovoked murders of men aged 21 to 54 over the past few months. He was charged with murder on Saturday.

Police said surveillance teams followed Brownlee while he was driving and stopped him in the area of ​​Village Green Drive and Winslow Avenue around 2 a.m. Saturday.

“Our surveillance team followed this guy as he was driving. We looked at his patterns and determined early this morning; he was on a killing spree. He was out hunting,” McFadden said.

McFadden added, “As officers made contact with him, he was wearing black clothing and a mask around his neck. He was armed with a firearm when he was taken into custody.”

Brown will be arraigned Tuesday and may face more charges, police said.

The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims. Paul Yao, 35, killed July 8; Salvador Debudey Jr., 43, died Aug. 11. Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, killed Aug. 30; Juan Cruz, 52, died on September 21; and Lawrence Lopez Sr., 54, killed Sept. 27.

Authorities said the men were alone when they were shot. All these murders took place at night or early morning, police said.

Police said earlier this month that another shooting of a 46-year-old black woman at 3:20 a.m. on April 16, 2021, at Park Street and Union Street in Stockton was connected to the investigation. The woman survived the shooting unharmed, they said.

Police said the motive for the murder was not known, but it may have been deliberate.

ABC News’ Mark Osborne and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.