Palm Springs Police Officers Killed In Shooting "Walked Into A Trap"

Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images

Two Southern California police officers who were shot to death in over the weekend "walked into a trap" set by a suspect intent on killing cops, the local prosecutor said Wednesday.

"This individual wanted to kill police officers," Riverside District Attorney Mike Hestrin said after charges were filed against the 26-year-old suspected gunman, John Felix. "He armed himself with a weapon to kill police officers. He put on a vest so that he would be protected so he could kill police officers."

John Felix

Riverside County Sheriff's Department via A

Felix was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Palm Springs police officers Jose "Gil" Vega and Lesley Zerebny — who had recently returned from maternity leave — on Saturday as they responded to a domestic disturbance call.

When the officers arrived, prosectors say, Felix was armed, fortified, and ready.

"I would describe this as an ambush," Hestrin said. "I think these police officers walked into a trap."

The officers had been trying to convince Felix to surrender, speaking to him through a screen door of the home when Felix opened fire, striking Vega, Zerebny, and a third officer who survived, police said.

Felix fled after the shooting, prompting a lockdown of the neighborhood and a manhunt through the desert town.

Hestrin said Felix was wearing body armor and used armor-piercing bullets in the attack.

"This individual knew what he was doing, he was deliberate in his actions," Hestrin said.

Felix also faces charges of lying in wait, attempted murder, and being in possession of stolen property, including an AR-15 rifle he used to shoot the officers, Hestrin said.

The charges make Felix, who was prohibited from owning a weapon because of a previous conviction of assault with a firearm in a gang shooting, eligible for the death penalty.

Hestrin said he has not made a decision on whether to seek the death penalty, but that he planed to make that call in the next three weeks.

LINK: Two Officers Shot And Killed In Southern California, Suspect In Custody

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