Avoid the dark areas: California police hunt down a possible serial killer and warn the public

California authorities are currently searching for a possible serial killer suspected of killing at least five people in the upstate city of Stockton, local police announced Wednesday.

 

Investigators have released a pixilated video of a suspect, dressed entirely in black and whose face is not discernible, whom they want to question about five murders in the city over the past three months. He may also be connected to a sixth homicide in nearby Oakland, about 50 miles from Stockton, according to several local media outlets. "This completely fits the definition of a serial killer," Stockton police spokesman Joseph Silva told AFP.

The killings are linked by ballistics, he related, without giving further details. At least three of the Stockton victims were homeless, police said, as was a woman who was shot in Oakland in 2021 and survived her injuries. "We're still trying to determine if one, two or more people committed this series of murders," Silva said.

 

Police released the video of the suspect, who is seen from behind with a slight limp in front of apartments, "in hopes that someone will recognize this person ... because they have a very specific walk," the spokesman added.

The suspect was caught on camera near some of the crime scenes. The victims "were all alone in dark places, either late at night or early in the morning". A $125,000 reward was announced for information leading to the arrest of the possible killer or killers. In Stockton, a city of 350,000 people located 40 miles south of California's capital, Sacramento, police have stepped up patrols and are asking residents to be careful.

 

"If you must go out at night or early in the morning, try to have a friend or family member with you and avoid dark areas," Silva advised.