2 Officers Killed, 1 Wounded In Palm Springs Shooting; Suspect At Large

PALM SPRINGS (CBSLA.com) — Two of three officers wounded after responding to a disturbance call Saturday in Palm Springs have died, Palm Springs police Chief Bryan Reyes said.

The incident is unfolding in the area of Cypress and De Lago roads. A Riverside County SWAT team has surrounded a house and is looking for the alleged shooter, according to police.

About 11 p.m., authorities still had the house surrounded and police robot was in action hoping to close in on the suspect who was believed to be barricaded in the home, CBS2's Jeff Nguyen reported.

Reyes urged the nearby public to not live stream any of the officers' movements on any social media platform as it may put officers' lives in danger and hinder the investigation.

Fighting back tears, Reyes identified the slain officers as Jose Gil Vega and Lesley Zerebny. Gil Vega, 63, a 35-year veteran and father of eight was set to retire in December. Zerebny, 27, just came back to work after giving birth four months ago.

The third officer shot is alert and helping with investigation.

Vega was not scheduled to work Saturday but chose to work an overtime shift.

Reyes says it appears the three officers were at the door simply trying to negotiate with the suspect when they were shot.

The alleged shooter has not been identified. A neighbor told CBS2 that the person believed to be responsible for the killings was a nice person and he never had a bad thing to say about him.

"We are currently working on several evacuations for several blocks," said one officer. "If you do live somewhere in the area, keep your doors locked. Do not answer your doors for anybody."

Multiple SWAT teams have responded to the scene, as have multiple agencies.

This is a breaking news report. More information will be added as soon as it becomes available.