Two Palm Springs Police Officers Slained While Responding To Domestic Call

Several Palm Springs police officers were killed after a suspect open fire while they responded to a domestic disturbance call.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

October 8, 2016

Palm Springs, CA - On Saturday, the Palm Springs Police Department  (PSPD) confirmed that both Police Officers Lesley Zerebny, 27, and Jose Gil Vega, 63, were killed by gunfire when a suspect open fire while they were responding just after midday to a home domestic disturbance call. A suspect was involved in an argument with family members when police were called to the scene.

As both officers arrived at the home and were by the door talking to the suspect, the he then opened fire with a handgun wounding the officers. A third officer was wounded in the crossfire.

Officers Vega and Zerebny were pronounced dead at the Desert Regional Medical Center. The known murder suspect who suffers from a mental illness is being sought by police and has not been identified.

Officer Vega was a 35-year Veteran at SPPD and is survived by his wife and eight children. Officer Zerebny had been working at the SPPD for a year and six months and is survived by a 4-month-old daughter and husband.

Update: The Riverside County Sheriff's Office released the following information, after a lengthy standoff, the suspect surrendered peacefully to Riverside County Sheriff's Department SWAT members and was taken into custody. The suspect has been identified as 26-year-old, Palm Springs resident, John Felix. Felix received non-life threatening injuries during this incident and was treated at a local hospital. Felix will be booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center, located in the city of Riverside, on two counts of murder on a peace officer.