A former Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed Tuesday morning after a high-speed chase, just hours after he allegedly stabbed his 11-year-old son to death — an attack the boy’s mother reportedly witnessed live on their home security camera.
Officials identified the suspect as 40-year-old Marvin Morales, a former deputy with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, Morales died in an officer-involved shooting after crashing his vehicle along a California highway.
The sheriff’s office said in a news release Tuesday night that Morales’ car crashed near Interstate 5 and Highway 12, where officers then opened fire.
“Two Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies, along with officers from other agencies, fired at Morales,” the statement said. Morales was hit by gunfire and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities have not said whether Morales fired at law enforcement during the confrontation.
News footage from local outlets KPTV and KCRA showed a vehicle that had collided with a tree at the scene.
The shooting followed a multi-agency pursuit that began after Morales’ wife called 911 early that morning, reporting that she had watched him stab their 11-year-old son on a home-security camera, according to KPTV, KCRA and NBC News.
“Just after 8 a.m., the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a homicide on the 7600 block of Ferrell Way in Elk Grove, where the Elk Grove Police Department discovered that an 11-year-old boy had been murdered,” the sheriff’s office said in its news release.
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Authorities said Elk Grove police quickly shared a description of Morales’ vehicle with other agencies. Not long after, Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper spotted the car and notified dispatch.
“Sheriff Cooper, deputies from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and officers from multiple allied agencies attempted to conduct a vehicle stop,” the statement continued. “Morales fled, leading them on a vehicle pursuit that ended near Interstate 5 and Highway 12, where an officer-involved shooting ensued.”
At a Tuesday night news conference, a sheriff’s office spokesperson confirmed that Morales had previously worked as a Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy, KPTV reported. According to the outlet, Morales was terminated in February 2024 after a drug-related incident.
NBC News reported that Morales had seized what he believed was methamphetamine from a suspect, then smoked the substance in a bathroom at the sheriff’s station. The drugs turned out to be fentanyl, and Morales overdosed before being revived and taken to a hospital, the outlet said. He later submitted a resignation letter and was formally fired following the episode.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that the California Highway Patrol is now investigating the shooting that killed Morales. Two sheriff’s deputies have been placed on administrative leave while that investigation is ongoing.
