Suspect In California Serial Killer Investigation Charged With 3 Murders

43-year-old Wesley Brownlee was charged with three counts of murder on Tuesday, Oct. 18, and was also accused of using a so-called ghost gun in the killings. The man was arrested in connection with a series of killings in Stockton, said reports.

According to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, the California man was charged with the deaths of Jonathan Rodriguez Hernandez, 21, Juan Carlos Carranza-Cruz, 52, and Lawrence Lopez, 54.

He also was charged with one count of a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of ammunition.

District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar said, “We charged the cases today because we believe we have sufficient evidence to pursue these charges and prove them beyond a reasonable doubt,” at a news conference on Tuesday.

Brownlee was arrested Saturday, Oct. 15, on suspicion of killing six men and wounding a woman while driving the streets of the city dressed in black with a mask around his neck and a gun by his side, police said.

A ghost gun, which is a firearm that can be 3D-printed without a serial number or necessary background check was the weapon used for the Stockton killings, said Salazar.

Salazar said “We can prove with high confidence the same gun was used in the three homicides we’re charging you with today,” while addressing the suspect.

Salazar said she expects additional charges in two other murders and attempted murder.

The case has been linked with the fifth homicide in Oakland, but the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office said it was unclear whether Brownlee would be charged.

Brownlee did not enter a plea and was scheduled to return to court on Nov. 14.

Paul Yaw, 35, and Salvador Debudey Jr., 43, were the two victims killed in Stockton this year. Juan Vasquez Serrano, 39, was killed in Oakland on Apr. 10, 2021, and Natasha LaTour, 46, was shot in Stockton on Apr 16 that year but survived.

The criminal history of Brownlee consists of traffic violations and convictions for drug crimes in Alameda County that goes back to an arrest when he was 15 years old, said reports.