A man suspected of fatally shooting a man at an Anaheim motel and kidnapping a 23-year-old woman last week was shot early Thursday by police in Old Town San Diego after his victim escaped, authorities said.
Anaheim police detectives Wednesday night was told by the father of the kidnapped woman, Brianne Deese, that she had called him from San Diego and said she escaped her captor. The suspect, identified by police as Luke Theodore Lampers, a 35-year-old transient, was wanted in the Jan. 11 fatal shooting of 49-year-old Douglas Navarro at the Crystal Inn in Anaheim.
"Detectives and investigators responded immediately and located the victim," said Sgt. Daron Wyatt of the Anaheim Police Department. "The continuing investigation led them to a motel in the 4000 block of Taylor (Street) in San Diego where Lampers was believed to be."
San Diego police responded to assist as Lampers was seen arriving at the motel in a vehicle, Wyatt said.
"Investigators from the APD Crime Task Force attempted to contact Lampers and a brief foot pursued ensued at which time an officer-involved shooting occurred," Wyatt said.
Police did not say what prompted the shooting, which occurred about five minutes after midnight. Lampers was struck by the gunfire and was taken to a San Diego-area hospital and his condition was not immediately reported.
The shooting investigation will be handled by the San Diego Police Department, Wyatt said, adding that the Anaheim Police Department's Major Incident Review Team was en route to San Diego to conduct a concurrent administration investigation.
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Deese's family made public pleas to Lampers last week, asking him to turn himself in and let Deese go.
Lampers is suspected of gunning down Navarro on Jan. 11 in the motel, located 2123 W. Lincoln Ave., where he was living and where his mother also lived and worked as a maid and in maintenance.
Deese was staying with someone at the motel and apparently left with Lampers and returned sometime later, Wyatt said. She was trying to get into a room where she was staying to retrieve some personal belongings when Navarro intervened to say she wasn't registered at the motel as a guest in that room, Wyatt said.
Lampers apparently saw an animated discussion between the two and allegedly shot Navarro, Wyatt said.
Then Lampers -- at gunpoint -- told Deese to leave with him, Wyatt said.
The "exhaustive" search for Deese ended Wednesday as police were able to safely recover her, Wyatt said.
