A California man has been arrested after authorities say he fatally shot his half-brother, then fled the home while leaving the stove’s gas burners on as the victim’s children slept inside.
Zackary A. Brodowski, 32, was taken into custody on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, the Redlands Police Department said in a statement shared on Wednesday, Dec. 24.
Officers responded to an apartment in Redlands on the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 23, after receiving a report of shots fired. Inside, they found 36-year-old Aaron Richard Rivera dead from apparent gunshot wounds, police said.
Investigators later identified Brodowski — Rivera’s half-brother — as a suspect, citing information from family members and evidence at the scene, according to authorities.
Police say surveillance footage from the apartment complex shows Brodowski leaving immediately after the shooting in a silver 2008 Ford Focus. Authorities also allege he left the stove’s gas burners on while Rivera’s two juvenile children were asleep inside the apartment.
Brodowski was later arrested “without incident” at his home in Calimesa, police said. During a search of the residence, investigators reported finding a firearm they believe was used in the killing, along with clothing that matched what was worn at the time of the shooting.
Police said Brodowski is being held without bail at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. It is not known whether he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
