Neighbors react to Palm Springs Police shooting

Judy Wicklund has called Palm Springs home sweet home for about 40 years. But she said her quiet neighborhood wasn’t so quaint Saturday afternoon. “Actually, it was shocking to find out it was right behind us,” Wicklund said. “Because it is such a good neighborhood, and you never expect anything. The gunshots, that sticks out in my mind a lot. Because I was napping, my son was napping. He heard the gunshots and actually woke him up. I was like ‘holy crap.’ He woke me up, and that was at one o’clock in the afternoon.” Wicklund and her family noticed dozens of law enforcement officers near her home. The area was where Where Palm Springs Police officers Jose Gil Vega and Lesley Zerebny were shot and killed, after responding to a domestic disturbance call. Now, she said her heart goes out to their families, with Vega on the verge of retirement after a 35-year career with PSPD, and Zerebny returning to the line of duty after giving birth just a few months ago. “My daughter-in-law is a brand new mom, [and] her baby is a month old,” Wicklund said. “And I can relate to just thinking what would happen to my grandbaby, if she had been the mother. It’s horrible.” With the suspect 26-year-old John Felix in custody, Wicklund said she hopes to not see anything like this happen again. “My neighbor called me I can’t tell you how many times, ‘Do you know anything? Do you know anything,” Wicklund said. “The lady was afraid by herself. Neighbors shouldn’t have to feel that way. The guy who did it, I hope he rots in prison. He owes the families more than an apology. That’s for darn sure.”