Travis Airman Accused Of Murdering Santa Cruz Deputy; FBI Looks For Link To Oakland Killing

FAIRFIELD (CBS13) – A Travis Air Force Base airman is under arrest and facing charges for the murder of a Santa Cruz sheriff's deputy on Saturday. But the FBI announced on Sunday that the agency is investigating whether he also killed a federal protective service officer a week ago in Oakland.

Airman Steven Carillo had been stationed at Travis Air Force base for two years and CBS13 is learning he had no record of discipline at the base.

Carillo was taken into custody Saturday afternoon in Santa Cruz County. 

Two neighbors pinned him down. Clara Rickeball captured the scene with her cell phone camera.

Only hours before that altercation deputies responded to a 911 call for a suspicious white van with guns and explosives. When deputies arrived, the van pulled away and the deputies followed. 

Deputy Damon Gutzwiller and another deputy tracked the van to Carillo's home in Ben Lomond. When they got out of their vehicles they "were ambushed with gunfire and improvised explosive devices," authorities said.

Gutzwiller was killed.

Travis AFB confirmed on Sunday that Carillo is an active-duty U.S. Air Force sergeant whose primary duty included security of the base tarmac, in charge of allowing or denying access to the flight line.

Carillo had no record of disciplinary action against him since he joined the Air Force in 2009, base officials said. He had served at the base since 2018.

The FBI is now investigating whether the white van Carillo was allegedly driving Saturday is the same white van connected to the deadly shooting of a federal security officer in Oakland a week ago. 

The van did not appear to have license plates attached at the time of that shooting. 

Carillo is a widower. His wife also served in the Air Force. Her body was discovered two years ago at an Air Force base in South Carolina. An investigation declared her death a suicide.