INKOYERN, Calif., Aug. 16 (UPI) — California authorities this weekend tracked down a man they believe killed a former dentist and shot two sheriff’s deputies, officials said — concluding an 18-day manhunt that spanned the central part of the state.
Benjamin Peter Ashley, 34, was wanted on charges of kidnapping, murder and attempted murder of a peace officer — but had eluded police for almost three weeks before he was confronted Saturday.
Two deputies approached Ashley near a mini-mart on Saturday after receiving a tip from a store clerk’s relative. When they ordered him to put his hands into the air, officials say Ashley pulled a 9-millimeter handgun and fired one shot.
The deputies returned fire, although it wasn’t immediately clear if Ashley died from police gunfire or his own. The deputies do not believe Ashley fired at them, the sheriff said. An autopsy Monday will determine which gun inflicted the fatal wound.
Three more handguns were found on Ashley, officials said.
“I’m not happy when anybody dies, but this is less traumatic to me than most,” the Kern County Sheriff said.
Officials confirmed Ashley’s identity with a fingerprint match, The Bakersfield Californian reported.
For 18 days, Ashley escaped capture during a manhunt in which investigators searched vast miles of California wilderness. During the search, officials had advised residents to stay locked inside their homes and shut down local schools, the Los Angeles Times reported.
According to investigators, Ashley’s crime spree began July 28 when he held three men captive at a cabin in the south central part of California, where it’s believed he had been squatting.
Two days later, 64-year-old former dentist David Markiewitz was found shot to death inside his cabin about 10 miles away.
On Aug. 1, two deputies were searching a mobile home for Ashley when they were shot and wounded by a man wielding a shotgun. Officials believe the man was Ashley.
The manhunt, which covered about 160 square miles of central and southern California, included more than 150 law enforcement officers from a dozen different agencies.
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