Two Palm Springs police officers died Saturday and another was injured in a shooting after responding to a domestic disturbance call.
The officers killed were 63-year-old Jose Gilbert Vega, a 35-year department veteran, and 27-year-old Lesley Zerebny, who had been with the department for a year-and-a-half and who had recently given birth, Palm Springs Police Chief Bryan Reyes said.
“My employees are broken,” Reyes said. “If there was ever a time to pray for the Palm Springs Police Department, it is now.”
Vega could have retired from the department five years ago after 30 years of service, the chief said. He submitted paperwork to retire in December. “After 35 years he was still pushing a patrol car on a day he wasn’t even supposed to work.”
Vega was the married father of eight children.
Zerebny had been at the department 1 1/2 years and recently returned to work after giving birth to a daughter four months ago, Reyes said.
In her first two weeks on the job she found a wanted murder suspect from the Los Angeles area.
“Officers Vega and Zerebny were killed today doing what they do every day – protecting their community,” said Gov. Jerry Brown. “We grieve with the family members, friends and fellow officers coping with this senseless tragedy. Anne and I join all Californians in offering our heartfelt condolences.”
The officer who was injured was hospitalized and was “alert and doing well.”
The shooting happened at about 1 p.m. at a house in the 2700 block of Cypress Avenue in Palm Springs, according to Reyes.
Police had been responding to a family disturbance, according to officials who said the suspect emerged from a house and began firing.
‘It was a simple family disturbance and he elected to open fire,’ Reyes said.
The suspect was still at large as of 7:30 p.m., Reyes said.
The house where the shooting took place was surrounded by the Riverside County S.W.A.T. team and a perimeter of several blocks was set up, police said.
Reyes said there was a possibility the suspect could have fled outside the perimeter.
Reyes did not release any information about the suspect. He told reporters the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department had taken over the investigation and would decide when any suspect information was released.
Dozens of law enforcement personnel responded to the scene from multiple agencies, including the Hemet and the San Jacinto police departments, as well as Riverside County sheriff’s deputies.
The surrounding neighborhoods near the shooting were evacuated, authorities said.
Police urged residents in the area to stay indoors while they searched for the suspect.
No other injuries were reported.
— From Staff and Wire Reports