The mother of a man who was shot and killed and the father of a woman who was kidnapped during the same incident on Friday begged the man suspected of both crimes to let the woman free and turn himself in.
Linda Navarro, whose son Douglas, 49, is believed to have been shot and killed by suspect Luke Theodore Lampers, shed tears during the Jan. 13 news conference at the Anaheim Police Department as she pleaded for the return of Brianne Deese.
Lampers, a 35-year-old transient, has been positively identified as the person who allegedly killed Douglas during a dispute Wednesday evening at the Crystal Inn motel at 2123 W. Lincoln Ave.
After allegedly shooting Douglas, police believe Lampers forced Deese, 23, into his vehicle at gunpoint and fled with her in the passenger seat in a 2011 orange Nissan Cube with California license plate 6SOY425.
“If anybody out there knows the whereabouts of [Lampers], please … please for the girl’s sake, just call [the police],” said Navarro, who lived at the motel with her son. “It won’t bring back my son, but it could possibly help her. We need to get him before he does anything else.”
Few details were released because of the ongoing investigation, but detectives believe Lampers and Deese may have had a romantic relationship at some point.
Douglas, Lampers and Deese were all at the motel at the time of the shooting and subsequent kidnapping, which was sparked by an altercation, Anaheim PD Sgt. Daron Wyatt said.
“Lampers stepped out of the vehicle and immediately confronted the victim, Douglas, and shot him at least one time and then they fled,” Wyatt said. “He was holding Brianne at gunpoint when he led her back to the vehicle.”
Anyone who sees Lampers or the vehicle should not approach but immediately call 911, Wyatt said.
“I’m asking that if he [Lampers] could see this newscast, please let my daughter go,” said David Deese, Brianne’s father. “She means the world to me. I need her back. I told her last year that I could not live if she was not in my life.”
Anyone with information is urged to call Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS/855-847-6227 or go to occrimestoppers.org