An ex-con accused of killing two police officers was jailed Sunday as a small police department grappled with the loss of both colleagues — a veteran training sergeant nearing retirement and a young mother who had just returned to work as a rookie cop.
A still-shaken police chief, Bryan Reyes, told a midday news conference that a third officer who was shot Saturday was alert, talking with investigators and may be released from a hospital soon.
“I have two officers that are now looking down at us from above, and our police department today is walking in the footsteps of two additional heroes,” the chief said with a strong voice, but through tears.
A candlelight vigil was scheduled for law enforcement officers and the public for 5 p.m. Sunday at the Palm Springs police headquarters.
The suspect, John Hernandez Felix, 26, was flushed out of his house at 1 a.m. Sunday by a Riverside County SWAT team. He was wearing soft body armor and carrying multiple magazines of bullets, but police said the investigation was continuing and they would not release what type of weapons he had.
Riverside County District Attorney Michael Hestrin said Felix may face the death penalty, but a decision on that will be made soon. He said Felix may be arraigned by mid-week.
The three officers were shot through a closed front door as they tried to get Felix to come outside at 1 p.m. Saturday, according to the sheriff’s department. Police had responded to a call from a woman who said her adult son was causing a disturbance, according to police.
Veteran training Sgt. Jose Gilbert Vega, 63, had been with the department for 35 years — five years past his retirement eligibility — and had planned to finish his career in December.
“That 35-year veteran was the first one walking up that sidewalk, to respond for a call for service,” Vegas said today, his voice cracking.
Also killed was a rookie police officer, Lesley Zerebny, 27, who had been with the department for a year-and-a-half. She had just returned to duty from maternity leave, after the birth of her daughter four months ago,
“She was a very excited officer, to learn her new profession, just gave birth to her baby daughter four months ago. “She elected to come back to the department early to help out.
“To see her laying down, with her eyes open, and to witness her husband in full Riverside County sheriff’s office uniform, kiss her on the forehead for the last time …
“It’s tough. We care going to rely on all of you to help us through this,” the police chief said.
The one piece of optimistic news from the chief was that a third officer, who was shot ands wounded, “is alert, (with) a high likelihood of being released from the hospital in the next few hours,” Reyes said.
Felix, the accused shooter, had been convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to two years in prison for a 2009 incident that originally drew an attempted murder charge. Prosecutors also charged him with being a member of a criminal gang.
After being released from that sentence, he was later accused of resisting arrest by Palm Springs police on the same street where he allegedly shot three officers responding to a family disturbance call in the 1 p.m. hour Saturday
At midmorning Sunday, SWAT trucks and police tape still blocked off Cypress Avenue north of Racquet Club Drive. Detectives and criminologists were still at work, 20 hours after the gunfire.
The suspect was arrested after a 12-hour standoff at 1 a.m. He was treated at a hospital for incidental injuries and then booked into the county jail at Riverside.
The shooting happened about 1 p.m. Saturday, at a house in the 2700 block of Cypress Avenue in Palm Springs, according to Reyes.
Dozens of law enforcement personnel responded to the scene from multiple agencies, including the Hemet and the San Jacinto police departments.
The surrounding neighborhoods near the shooting were evacuated and residents were asked to stay indoors while the search was on. No other injuries were reported.
— Staff and Wire Reports