A man wanted by Morongo Basin deputies for a sexual assault and attempted murder in Johnson Valley was shot and killed in a confrontation with deputies in Lucerne Valley Friday morning.
According to investigators, Joshua Beedie, 38, had sexually assaulted and beat a woman Thursday evening in the 5500 block of Perriman Street in Johnson Valley. When they arrived, Marlton Forest told them that Beedie had sexually assaulted a woman on the property. When Forest went to check on the victim about 6 p.m., he said Beedie shot at him with at least two firearms. Beedie fled the scene before deputies arrived.
About 9:30 a.m. Friday, deputies were called to a mobile home park in the 38300 block of Old Woman Springs Road for a report of shots fired. Two people had been shot at by the suspect; one person received minor injuries. When deputies arrived, the suspect, identified as Beedie, continued to shoot and was hiding in an area filled with abandoned vehicles and mobile homes. Residents of the mobile home park were evacuated, and despite PA announcements by deputies for Beedie to surrender, the calls were ignored.
Deputies called in a SWAT team for assistance and a team of three armored vehicles approached the area where Beedie was hiding about 1:30 p.m. At that time, a deputy involved shooting occurred, and Joshua Beedie was struck by gunshots. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Deputies located three rifles, including an AR-15, and a sawed-off shotgun next to Beedie.
Morongo Basin deputies identified Joshua Beedie as a transient from Joshua Tree; Lucerne Valley deputies say he was a resident of Yucaipa.
