(Newswire.net — October 10, 2016) —Two police officers, Jose Gilbert Vega, 63, who was due to retire this year, and Lesley Zerebny, 27, a new mom with a 4-month-old daughter, responded to a domestic disturbance call Saturday night, in Palm Springs, California, and it cost them their lives.
While Jose and Lesley tried to stop a fight , the man with whom they were talking to suddenly pulled out a gun and began to shoot at the officer’s, Palm Springs Police Chief Bryan Reyes explained.
Jose Gilbert Vega and Lesley Zerebny were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they died from injuries sustained. An unidentified third officer was released from the hospital Sunday and was doing well, according to a statement from the Palm Springs Police Department.
Police arrested the man who is suspected of having killed the two policemen and wounded one other. John Felix, 26, is a resident of Palm Springs, and was arrested early Sunday, more than 12 hours after the fatal shootings, reports CNN.
Before making the arrest, SWAT team members surrounded the house, blocked the desert resort town which is about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, and evacuated some of the residents from the area. Others were ordered not to remain inside and to lock their doors. Police asked citizens and the media not to broadcast live images or video on TV or on social networks.
The tragic incident started after officers responded to a 911 house call. A woman made the call around midday and said her adult son was causing a disturbance, Palm Springs Police Chief Reyes said during a press conference. Within 10 minutes of their arrival, Felix opened fire through the closed front door, killing the two officers.
A neighbor told the AP that the attacker had a criminal record.
After this incident, it is not just the residents of Palm Springs, but the whole US who are in mourning of the murdered officers.
Lesley Zerebny, 27, had just returned to duty after maternity leave. She leaves behind her husband, who is a deputy with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, and a 4 month-old daughter.
Wonderful, young, and a dedicated officer, she joined the department last year, Palm Springs Police Chief Bryan Reyes said about Zerebny.
The other officer killed is Jose Gilbert Vega, 63 years-old, father of eight children. Vega had served as a police officer for 35 years. He filed for retirement this December but continued to pick up overtime shifts like the one he worked on Saturday.