Republished February 22, 2021 - 4:31 PM
Original Publication Date February 22, 2021 - 3:36 AM
ANTIOCH, Calif. - The suspect in a drive-by shooting that wounded a firefighter and a paramedic in California is also suspected in the slaying of a man found shot to death in a home. Authorities also were searching for the man's son and the child's mother, believing they could be in danger.
Darryon Williams, 26, was arrested in Richmond in the San Francisco Bay Area after a police chase late Saturday, the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
A firefighter and a paramedic were wounded in the drive-by shooting while responding to a call in Antioch. They were expected to recover. Officers chased the vehicle and took Williams into custody, the sheriff's office statement said.
After Williams' arrest, officers did a welfare check at a nearby home. Michael Iliff, 64, was found dead inside with apparent gunshot wounds, authorities said. Williams was named a suspect in the death.
Williams was questioned and then booked into jail on $11 million bail, the sheriff’s office said. It's unclear whether he has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
The sheriff's office was looking for Williams' 4-year-old son and the child's mother, 31-year-old Kimberly Meeks, saying detectives have concerns about their safety.
Authorities said a gunman twice drove by a restaurant where a man had come in asking for help and fired at people before speeding away Saturday night. He was captured after a chase that reached speeds of 100 mph per hour ended in a crash, KPIX-TV reported. Antioch police posted photos of bullet holes in a patrol vehicle and an ambulance.
A fire official says the possibility of shootings like this are “always in the back of our minds.”
“Things can always happen at any scene,” Contra Costa fire Capt. Joe Ottolini told KPIX. “I believe this is our first incident where a firefighter has actually been struck by a bullet.”
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This story has been corrected to remove a reference to Williams being charged because charges have not been filed.
News from © The Associated Press, 2021