LODI, CA — A former Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy, identified as 40-year-old Marvin Morales, died after an officer-involved shooting following a I-5 police chase, according to officials on Tuesday. Morales was the primary suspect in the fatal stabbing of his 11-year-old son in Elk Grove.
Shortly after 8 a.m., the children’s mother contacted police after seeing, through the home’s security cameras, how Morales violently assaulted their older son. Moments later, she saw the child lying motionless on the floor and called authorities.
When officers arrived on the 7600 block of Ferrell Way, they found the 11-year-old boy with multiple stab wounds. He was taken to the hospital, where he died. A 6-year-old girl was also in the home; she was unharmed, evaluated at a hospital, and released to her mother.
Morales had fled before officers arrived. Sheriff Jim Cooper was among the first to spot the suspect’s vehicle on I-5 near Pocket Road. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) deployed a spike strip, causing Morales to lose control and crash.
The chase came to an end south of the Highway 12 interchange in San Joaquin County. There, multiple officers — at least two Sheriff’s deputies and one Elk Grove officer — opened fire, fatally injuring Morales. No officers were harmed.
Authorities have not confirmed whether Morales fired at law enforcement. Elk Grove police said they cannot release information about what was found inside the suspect’s vehicle but did confirm that the gun safe in his home was empty.
Morales had previously been under internal investigation. In 2023, he suffered what was initially reported as fentanyl exposure, but an internal report later determined he had smoked fentanyl believing it was methamphetamine seized from a suspect. Investigators also found that he had taken home a methamphetamine pipe he claimed to have destroyed.
The Sheriff’s Office ordered Morales’ termination days after he submitted a resignation letter citing “personal reasons.” Later, Morales voluntarily disqualified himself from eligibility to work as a peace officer in California.