SAN ANDREAS, Calif. — New video from the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office shows how an investigation into a domestic violence incident turned into a deadly hostage situation.
The incident dates back to May 6 after the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office got multiple calls regarding a domestic violence-related incident at the Sierra Inn motel in San Andreas.
The sheriff's office released 911 audio where callers told dispatchers that a man had pointed a gun at a woman's head. One caller from the released audio noted that a little girl was in the room with them. The suspect was ultimately identified as Mark Aitulagi Lavea, 47.
Arriving deputies weren't able to find the victim and suspect and started a 45-minute search of the area. Eventually, they figured out who was involved in the incident and a deputy, identified as Deputy Jonathan Brown, found the domestic violence victim in the parking lot of the Diamond Place Apartments complex.
The sheriff's office said Deputy Brown was ambushed by the suspect, who shot Brown in the upper body. Brown was taken to the hospital as other deputies arrived and began looking for the suspect.
Authorities searched for Lavea as he called 911 asking to speak with deputies on scene. The deputies did not know Lavea forced had himself into another apartment and took a 75-year-old woman hostage, the sheriff's office said.
According to the sheriff's office, Lavea forced the physically disabled woman, who uses a walker, out of the apartment while holding a gun up against her body, effectively using her as a human shield.
Video released by the sheriff's office appears to show Lavea forcing the woman to walk toward officers while he hid behind her and yelled that he loved his wife and that he wanted to speak with her. Law enforcement could be heard yelling at Lavea to show his hands.
Sheriff's deputies said they shot Lavea as he attempted to force the hostage up a concrete stairway. The shooting caused Lavea to fall but he was able to stand back up and take another shot at deputies before he was shot again. He reportedly tried to get up a third time before he was shot again. In the sheriff's office video, deputies can be heard saying Lavea had wounds to his chest, stomach and legs.
Lavea was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel. Sgt. Greg Stark said deputies found the suspect's weapon at the scene and booked it into evidence.
According to the sheriff's office, several of the officer's rounds struck the large metal railing and elevated concrete retaining wall during the shooting causing them to both fragment and ricochet to hit the hostage. Sgt. Stark said the sheriff's office doesn't know if Lavea's round hit the victim.
The investigation is ongoing. The Calaveras County District Attorney's Office will also conduct an investigation of the incident. The full video can be viewed below.
