Monday, May 11, 2009

Fleeing murder suspect asked woman to call 911 for him

Late Saturday night, Salvadro Camargo burst into Theresa Lee's home in Sonoma, California and demanded she call 911.

This was a few hours after a man had been shot to death in a house about three miles from Lee’s house.

Camargo, apparently afraid that someone wanted to kill him, hid in her home until police arrived and arrested him. “He told me they were out to kill him, and not to stand by the windows because they would shoot us,” she said. “It was very chaotic. I was very confused.”

Lee’s account adds to the bizarre circumstances surrounding a killing that the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department continued to investigate Sunday afternoon.

Authorities learned of the killing when a friend of the victim arrived at the Sonoma police station to report the shooting. The man didn’t know the address where the killing occurred, but his description led to a home. Neighbors said the home is rented to Tim Slevin and that one person — not Slevin — was found inside dead from a gunshot wound to the head.

Camargo reportedly fled the murder scene and drove to Lee’s home at about 10:45 p.m. demanding the she call 911. “I assumed there was a car wreck,” Lee said. Camargo appeared to be in shock, she said, and at first he refused to tell her why she needed to call 911. Then things grew increasingly bizarre, Lee said.

“He was terrified. Whatever he knew had happened, he was terrified,” Lee said. “At first I thought he was in shock, then I thought he was probably really high on something. But I don’t know.”

Camargo didn’t threaten her or try to stop her from leaving when police ordered her and her dog to exit out the back door, Lee said. Instead, Camargo begged her not to leave. “He was a pathetic person, on his knees, begging me not to leave as I backed away with my dog,” she said. “I told him he scared me and I needed to leave now.”

With Lee and her dog on the back patio, officers released their police dog, which bit Camargo. “I honestly don’t know how long it lasted. You’d have to ask the 911 operator. It was just so chaotic,” Lee said.

Camargo was jailed on suspicion of murder. He was being held without bail.

The vehicle apparently driven by Camargo, which the victim’s friend had described to police, was found a short distance from Lee’s house. (Info from Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

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