Weldon residents are still being urged to stay inside and lock their doors as multiple agencies continue their search for a man who wounded two SWAT deputies in a gunfight.
Kern County Sheriff’s spokesman Ray Pruitt said law enforcement officers from throughout Southern California are focusing on a five-mile area near the scene of Saturday’s shooting.
“It’s very rugged terrain,” he said. “A lot of it is mountainous, some of it is open area, some of it is covered in foliage, trees, shrubbery, brushes, and there are culverts,” he said.
It’s believed the person being pursued is the same man who held three people at gunpoint at a cabin in Twin Oaks and killed 64-year-old David Markiewitz at his cabin in the Jawbone Canyon last week.
The sheriff’s office released a composite photo Monday afternoon. They say the man is between 30 and 35 years old, is 5-foot-8, weighs 160 pounds and has long brown hair and blue eyes. They also say his skin is sun-weathered, and he has a dirty appearance.
The man is considered to be armed and extremely dangerous, Pruitt said. Those who spot the man are being urged to call 911 immediately.
– Anthony Pollreisz