A former Sacramento County sheriff's deputy suspected of stabbing his 11-year-old son was shot and killed by law enforcement after leading officers on a high-speed freeway chase, authorities said.
The attack occurred early Tuesday morning inside a home in Elk Grove, about 15 miles south of Sacramento. The boy’s mother reportedly watched the assault on a home security camera and called 911 shortly after 8 a.m. The child was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. A 6-year-old child who was also in the home was unharmed and is safe.
Local authorities identified the suspect as Marvin Morales, a former Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy. Morales submitted a resignation letter on Feb. 2, 2024, and was formally terminated by the sheriff’s office on Feb. 7 following an internal investigation that found he lied about using drugs seized from suspects in 2023.
Sheriff Jim Cooper said he spotted a vehicle he believed was connected to the case while driving to work and relayed the location to other officers shortly after 9 a.m. A brief pursuit on Interstate 5 reached speeds of about 100 mph before the SUV crashed near the interchange with State Route 12 in Lodi, San Joaquin County.
California Highway Patrol officials said officers deployed a spike strip, and the SUV left the freeway when it crashed without hitting other vehicles. After the crash, law enforcement officers — including at least two Sacramento County deputies — opened fire and killed Morales. Authorities have not confirmed whether Morales fired at officers.
The California Department of Justice is investigating the fatal shooting, as it does with all officer-involved deaths in the state.
Background from internal probe: An internal sheriff’s office investigation concluded Morales seized drugs from a suspect and smoked some of the narcotics in a station bathroom. He reportedly believed the drug was methamphetamine but overdosed on fentanyl; deputies revived him with Narcan and he was hospitalized. Investigators found a pipe near him and drugs in his uniform, and a hair test indicated chronic illicit drug use. The probe also found he had lied about his handling of seized narcotics and he later admitted to using drugs.
Officials say the case remains under active investigation; the state Justice Department will review the shooting and other agencies may continue to probe the circumstances surrounding the stabbing and the events that followed.
