RSO: Bail agent booked for murder in shooting of suspected fugitive

A 36-year-old bail agent has been arrested and booked for murder after allegedly shooting and killing another man while trying to apprehend him during a fugitive recovery incident at a home in Palm Springs, according to the Riverside County Sheriff. On Saturday authorities released new details on the case, stating that the agent was not properly licensed and had a criminal record, which prohibited him from carrying a firearm.

At 2:11 a.m. Palm Springs Police were called out to the Indian Canyon Gardens condominium complex on the 100 block of E. Via Escuela and Indian Canyon Drive. According to police, they were notified 3 times; the first notification came from a a Ring panic alarm, the second came from the resident who was reporting a break-in, and the third came from a bail agent who said he was on scene attempting to take someone into custody.

When officers arrived, they identified the resident as David Spann, 33, who allegedly had a knife. An officer tased Spann, who refused to comply, and that's when the bail agent opened fire, killing Spann, according to police.

"He seemed very much like a family man," said Spann's neighbor, Barbara Limardo. "He had 2 children, he had a wife- spent a lot of time at the pool and with the kids. He never really caused any problems, he was pretty quiet."

Limardo said in recent days Spann seemed to be struggling emotionally in his relationship with his wife. That same information was also detailed by another neighbor who spoke to a News Channel 3 crew the day of the shooting.

"I was surprised the way it turned out but I wasn’t surprised because of where he was at emotionally, probably," Limardo said. "I was pretty sad about it. I had just saw him that morning before I went to work so I was kind of sad to come back at the end of the day and know that, the next day, that we wasn’t here anymore."

Moments before the shooting happened, another neighbor recounted to News Channel 3 what he saw when he arrived home from getting soda at about 1:30 Friday morning.

"I come home, turn into the complex here where we live and a vehicle gets right behind me to follow me in and enter and it looked to me like a police undercover car," said neighbor, Tony Romero.

Romero believes the bail agents involved came to his door shortly before the shooting.

"It was a man and a woman," said Romero.

Romero said they spoke with his wife, and asked questions about the layout of the complex and whether they knew Spann.

A short time after they left, Romero said he heard "loud banging [and] shouting."

Palm Springs Police said the agent had notified them they intended to apprehend the suspect at around 1:47 a.m. According to California law, agents must notify law enforcement up to 6 hours before the intended arrest, "except under exigent circumstances."

At the time of the attempted arrest the Riverside County Sheriff said "although Spann was wanted by a bail agency, there was no warrant for his arrest by law enforcement."

According to Penal Code 1299, "the fact that a bench warrant is not located or entered into a warrant depository or system shall not affect a lawful arrest of the bail fugitive."