Marshalltown murder suspect killed by law enforcement officers in southern California
ANAHEIM, CALIF. — Less than 24 hours after the announcement that the man suspected of killing 41-year-old Ramon Alexis Feliciano Nieves outside of the Center Street Station Bar on June 1 had been shot by law enforcement officers in Southern California and taken to a nearby hospital, authorities publicly pronounced 18-year-old Victor Antonio Delgadillo dead on Saturday morning.
According to a report from ABC 7 Los Angeles, the shooting occurred at around 1:30 p.m. on Friday in an industrial park area on N. State College Boulevard and the 91 Freeway in Anaheim, a large suburb located in Orange County. Representatives of the Anaheim Police Department (APD) told the TV station that officers were there to assist a U.S. Marshals Task Force consisting of multiple agencies, including the California Department of Corrections and the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.
Marshalltown Police Chief Mike Tupper told the T-R that his department recently received a tip placing Delgadillo in southern California, and they worked with the U.S. Marshals Service to pursue the lead.
Reporting in the Orange County Register indicated that law enforcement officers from the corrections department, the APD and the U.S. Marshals Service attempted to serve a search warrant and opened fire on Delgadillo during the process. While it was not immediately clear whether the suspect fired at the officers, a gun was recovered at the scene.
“Task Force personnel and Anaheim Police contacted the suspect, and an officer-involved shooting occurred,” a press release read. “One Anaheim Police officer and other members of the Task Force fired their weapons.”
During the incident, a bullet struck a bystander, who has since been treated for minor injuries and released from a hospital. Another witness told ABC 7 that he heard between 15 and 20 shots fired in all.
The Orange County Register also reported that two corrections department officers who fired their guns have been placed on administrative leave, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the shooting. An Anaheim officer who fired was not placed on leave.
Although the primary suspect in the case is now deceased, Tupper reiterated that the investigation is far from over, and he is “fully pursuing” the possibility of filing charges against individuals believed to have aided and abetted Delgadillo on the night of the fatal shooting and in the ensuing two plus months that he evaded law enforcement. The suspect had previously been arrested and charged with trafficking in stolen weapons on April 5.
Nieves’s son Christian Feliciano turned 20 on Saturday, and he reflected on the outcome of the situation during a brief interview with the T-R that afternoon.
“I prayed to God, and I got justice on my birthday,” he said. “I’ve just got no words right now. I’m not happy with how it went, but I got justice.”
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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.