DA seeks death penalty against accused Palm Springs police shooter
The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office has decided to seek the death penalty for the man accused of gunning down two Palm Springs police officers during a domestic call on Saturday, October 8.
John Hernandez Felix, 26 of Palm Springs, has been charged with two counts of murder for killing Officer Jose Gilbert Vega, 63; and Officer Lesley Zerebny, 27. There are also special circumstance allegations attached to the murder charges of multiple murders, the murder of a law enforcement officer, and lying in wait.
Those allegations each make Felix eligible for the death penalty. Based on the evidence in this case, it is believed that Felix, a self-admitted and known gang member, ambushed the officers who responded to the residence, according to authorities.
DIstrict Attorney Mike Hestrin met with family members of both Vega and Zerebny on Wednesday, October 26. Hestrin and prosecutors in the office then met to examine and discuss the evidence in the case. Hestrin then made the decision to seek the death penalty. By law, the decision whether or not the seek the death penalty can be made only by the elected district attorney.
“This was a heinous crime involving the murders of two police officers who were gunned down simply because they were police officers,” Hestrin said. “The victims in this case were responding to a call for service and died in the line of duty protecting our community.”
Felix is also charged with three counts of attempted murder with three other Palm Springs police officers named as victims in those counts. One of the officers was wounded by gunfire, then treated at a local hospital and released. The other two officers were not hit by gunfire.
There are allegations attached to the two murder and three attempted murder counts that Felix personally used a firearm, that he possessed armor-piercing ammunition, and that he wore a body vest during the commission of a violent crime. Other counts include that Felix unlawfully possessed an assault weapon, that he unlawfully possessed a firearm after being a convicted felon, that he unlawfully possessed ammunition after being a convicted felon, and possession of stolen property – the assault weapon used in the crime.
