The man accused of a triple homicide in Southern California and killed in a shootout with law enforcement officers was a Virginia state trooper who investigators say traveled across much of the country to meet with a teenage girl he had “caught in a fishing line” and killed three members of his family.
Everything points to Austin Lee Edwards, 28, also setting fire to the family’s home in Riverside, Calif., on the day of the shooting Friday the 25th, before leaving with the girl he’d kidnapped, according to the Riverside Police Department.
Deputies exchanged fire and shot Edwards after they spotted him with the teenager later that day, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and Riverside Police said.
Until last month, Edwards was a Virginia state trooper and was recently hired as a deputy sheriff in that state, spokesmen said. Edwards, a resident of North Chesterfield, Virginia, met the girl online and obtained her personal information by tricking her into a false identity, known as “catfishing,” and posing as a 17-year-old.
The bodies found in the home were identified as the girl’s grandparents and mother: Mark Winek, 69, his wife, Sharie Winek, 65, and their daughter, Brooke Winek, 38.
The teenager was unhurt and was taken into custody by the Riverside County Department of Public Human Services, located approximately 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
the neighbors called
Police received a phone call on Friday morning concerning a crying man and young woman who were involved in an argument near a car. Investigators later determined the two people were Edwards and the teenager, whose age has not been released.
Authorities believe Edwards parked his vehicle in a neighbor’s driveway, drove up to the house and killed family members before driving off with the girl.
Shortly thereafter, the Riverside Fire Department was alerted to smoke and a possible fire at a structure a few houses away from where the argument took place. Upon arrival, they discovered the bodies of three adults, face down in the main entrance.
The cause of the fire appears to have been intentional, police said. Riverside authorities distributed a description of Edwards’ vehicle to law enforcement, and several hours later, police located the car with Edwards and the teenager in Kelso, San Bernardino County.
Edwards fired and officers returned fire, killing the shooter, Riverside Police confirmed.
“It is shocking and sad to the entire law enforcement community that such an evil individual could have infiltrated a law enforcement agency, hiding his true identity as a cyber predator and murderer,” said the sheriff of the county.Washington, Blake Andis
(BOX)
FAST POLICE RUN
- Austin Lee Edwards, charged with the triple homicide, was hired by the Virginia State Police and entered the police academy on July 6, 2021, said Corinne Geller, public relations officer for Virginia State Police.
- He graduated on January 21, 2022 and was assigned to Henrico County, within the agency’s Richmond division, until his resignation on October 28.
- Edwards was hired as an officer in Washington County, Virginia on November 16 and had begun orientation for assignment to the patrol division.
(COURT OF APPEAL)
“This is another horrific reminder of the predators that exist online and prey on our children. If you’ve already had a conversation with your kids about online safety and social media, do it again. If you haven’t, start protecting them better now.”
~Larry González, Chief of Police of Riverside, during a press conference on Monday 28.
