2 officers killed, 1 injured in Palm Springs shooting, police say
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KABC) -- Two officers died and one was injured after a suspect opened fire during a family disturbance call in Palm Springs Saturday afternoon.
About 12 hours after the deadly shooting, a suspect was taken into custody.
Authorities said the shooting happened near East Del Lago Road and North Cypress Road. A female called around 12:18 p.m. saying her adult son was causing a disturbance in the 2700 block of Cypress Road, according to police.
Two officers arrived on scene, and the man would not open the door to the home, threatening to shoot them.
MORE: Community mourns loss of 2 Palm Springs police officers
Within 10 minutes of the officers arriving, an emergency assistance was broadcasted, according to Police Chief Bryan Reyes.
A witness at the scene said he heard at least 100 shots erupt and saw three to four officers attempting to revive Zerebny.
A third officer was also wounded in the shooting. Reyes said the officer was alert and providing investigators with more information on the situation.
Reyes said the house was surrounded, and they believed the suspect was in the residence. The investigation has been turned over to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. At 12:51 a.m., the Riverside County Sheriff's Department tweeted that a suspect was taken into custody.
More details on the arrest were expected Sunday at an 11 a.m. news conference.
Reyes named the two officers who were killed: Officer Jose Gilbert Vega and Officer Lesley Zerebny.
Vega, 63, was a 35-year veteran at the police department and was due to retire in December. Reyes said he had been working overtime on an unscheduled shift. Vega was also married and a father of eight.
Zerebny, 27, had only been with the department for a little more than a year. Reyes said she had given birth to a child about four months ago and had just returned to work. She was married to a Riverside County sheriff's deputy.
"I am awake in a nightmare right now, that's me. As the chief of police for this police department, I've got to step forward and stay focused," Reyes said as he held back tears during a press conference.
A Riverside County sheriff's official said no details on the suspect would be released until changes developed in the search or barricade situation. Authorities used robots to breach the front door of the suspect's home.
Several residents in their homes were also evacuated due to the barricade situation.
