A San Joaquin County jury has found Wesley Brownlee competent to stand trial, KCRA reported, citing the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office. The verdict clears the way for the case to move forward after years of delay.
The case
KRON4 describes Brownlee, 47, as an Oakland native. Prosecutors accuse him of "hunting" for victims on the streets of Stockton and Oakland and killing six people between 2021 and 2022.
KCRA says the killings took place over 18 months in San Joaquin and Alameda counties. Brownlee faces six counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and related special-circumstance allegations. One victim, Juan Alexander Vasquez, was killed in Alameda County. The other victims named by KCRA include Paul Alexander Yaw, 35; Salvador William Debudey Jr., 43; Juan Cruz, 52; and Lorenzo Lopez, 52.
KCRA reports that a woman survived after being shot around 10 times. Freitas named the survivor as Natasha LaTour.
What prosecutors said
"This verdict confirms what the evidence has shown all along: Wesley Brownlee is competent to stand trial," San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas said. "After years of delay, the victims' families and this community deserve their day in court."
Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty, KCRA reports.
What is next
Brownlee's next scheduled court date is Nov. 2.