Former California deputy suspected of stabbing his 11-year-old son is killed during police pursuit

LODI, Calif. (AP) — A former California sheriff’s deputy suspected of fatally stabbing his 11-year-old son was shot and killed by law enforcement officers on Tuesday after he led them on a car chase along Interstate 5, authorities said.

Police in Elk Grove, near Sacramento, responded around 8 a.m. to a call from a mother who said she was concerned about the safety of her two children after seeing home security footage of their father assaulting their 11-year-old son, officials said.

Responding officers found the boy with stab wounds, police said. He later died at a hospital. His 6-year-old sister was unharmed.

Their father had fled the scene and was spotted driving south on I-5, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. A pursuit ended in a crash near Lodi when the California Highway Patrol deployed a spike strip. After the crash, the suspect was shot by officers, officials said. He died at a hospital.

The Elk Grove Police Department confirmed to KCRA-TV that the deceased suspect is 40-year-old Marvin Morales, a former Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy. He had been fired from the agency in February 2024 after being caught using illicit drugs, sheriff’s Sgt. Amar Gandhi told reporters.

At least two deputies were involved in Tuesday’s shooting, Gandhi said. Elk Grove police said one of their officers was also involved. No deputies or officers were hurt.

It wasn’t immediately known if Morales fired at law enforcement. Officials said a gun safe at the suspect’s home was found empty.

The shooting is under investigation.