The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department was involved in a high visibility pursuit passing through the Morongo Basin on Friday (November 25), related to a multiple homicide in Riverside. The pursuit ended with one suspect dead in Kelso. At around 1:15 p.m. on Friday, the Sheriff’s aviation unit spotted a red Kia matching the description of a vehicle wanted in connection to a triple homicide in Riverside. The vehicle was driving southbound on Highway 247.
Austin Edwards, a 28 year-old resident of North Chesterfield, VA, was the driver of the vehicle, and also wanted in connection to the homicide. Edwards was reported to have been a member of law enforcement with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and previously the Virginia State Police. Edwards was considered to be armed and dangerous, and driving with a female minor.
The Sheriff’s SWAT Team engaged in the pursuit, and the Kia made its way eastbound on Twentynine Palms Highway, eventually arriving at Kelso Cima Road in Kelso. There, Edwards is reported to have fled the vehicle and then pointed a gun at Sheriff’s Deputies. According to autopsy results released on November 30, the Edwards shot himself, and was declared dead at the scene. A previous version of this story indicated that Edwards was killed by lethal force by law enforcement.
The female passenger exited the Kia without any injury.
Reports say that Edwards was involved in a deceptive online relationship with the female passenger, also known as catfishing. The victims of the homicide have been identified as Brooke Winek, the mother of the female passenger, and Mark and Sharie Winek, the grandparents of the victim.
Previous reports indicated that this pursuit ended in Needles. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division responded to the scene and assumed the investigation. The Riverside Police Department is investigating the triple homicide.
Previously reported:
The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department has confirmed that a high visibility pursuit passing through the Morongo Basin on Friday evening (November 25) was related to a lethal force encounter in Needles that left one suspect dead at the scene. Eyewitness accounts reported that a large number of marked and unmarked law enforcement vehicles drove along Highway 62, with reports coming in that the vehicles were heading eastbound through the Hi-Desert, from Morongo Valley through Wonder Valley and then beyond. This law enforcement presence in the Morongo Basin was related to the triple homicide case out of Riverside. A female occupant of the vehicle is safe. This story is ongoing, and Z107.7 will update as we learn more.
