Danny Figueroa

Case details

Danny Figueroa was a man described as mentally retarded and a “thrill killer” who shot victims in random snipings. He was 26 years old at the time of the killings described.

Figueroa taught adolescent boys to camp and hunt small game with BB guns, and he also leaned toward other weapons and prey when he went out hunting on his own. Authorities later treated the killings as connected.

Timeline

• 13 May 1986 — Reynold Johnson was shot and killed at his home in Hemet, California, ten miles east of Perris; the single round struck him in the chest and had been fired from a high-powered rifle.
• 29 May 1986 — Ray Webber, age 19, was working on his brother’s ranch in Riverside County when he was shot; coworkers found him slumped over the steering wheel of his pickup truck in San Timoteo Canyon, with his skull shattered by a shotgun blast.
• Four days later — An illegal alien crossing a lettuce field in Imperial County was confronted by a man in uniform; the man shot him where he stood, left him for dead, and the victim crawled to the highway where a passing motorist drove him to a hospital in El Centro.
• 8 June 1986 — Robert Jimenez was shot three times while barbecuing in his own back yard at Indio, about forty-five miles east of Perris; a fourth shot struck him as he crawled back toward the house to call police.
• 17 June 1986 — Mary Langerich, 72, was reported missing by her husband after she failed to return from taking their dog for her morning walk; three hours later searchers found her body in the brush beside a gravel road, shot five times in the back with a small-caliber weapon.
• 21 June 1986 — Officers stopped by the Figueroa home to question Danny on Mary Langerich’s disappearance and killing; his family reported that he had been “camping” in the desert for the past few days.
• 28 June 1986 — Hikers spotted Danny Figueroa in Reche Canyon, barely two miles from his home; helicopters sighted him trying to conceal himself in grass and brush while a squad of twenty deputies with automatic weapons closed the ring on foot.
• 2 July 1986 — Figueroa was arraigned in San Jacinto for Reynold Johnson’s murder.
• June 1987 — Figueroa was convicted on three counts of murder; he drew a prison term of 66 years to life.

The offence

Reynold Johnson was shot and killed at his home in Hemet, California, ten miles east of Perris; witnesses said a stranger in military green was in the neighborhood, and police were left without a motive or suspect.

Ray Webber, age 19, was shot while working on his brother’s ranch in Riverside County; coworkers found him slumped over the steering wheel of his pickup truck in San Timoteo Canyon, and the killing involved a shotgun blast that shattered his skull.

A man crossing a lettuce field in Imperial County was shot by an assailant who appeared to be in uniform and who shot him as he stood; the victim was driven to a hospital in El Centro and gave sheriff’s deputies a description of the gunman.

Robert Jimenez was shot three times while barbecuing in his own back yard in Indio; a fourth shot struck him as he crawled back toward the house to call police.

Mary Langerich, age 72, was reported missing after she failed to return following a morning walk with their dog; searchers found her body in the brush beside a gravel road shot five times in the back with a small-caliber weapon. Witnesses reported sightings of a young man dressed in paramilitary garb close by the murder scene.

Authorities concluded they had a random sniper and that the perpetrator was not afraid to kill.

Investigation

Witnesses recalled a stranger attired in military green in Reynold Johnson’s neighborhood, but police were left without a motive or a suspect.

After the shooting of the illegal alien in Imperial County, the victim’s description led officers to search the area for the gunman.

Officers found Danny Figueroa dressed in camouflage fatigues and carrying a rifle; they disarmed him and recorded his denial of the shooting, skeptical of his claim that he was merely a survivalist, rehearsing field maneuvers in anticipation of society’s collapse. Their witness hedged at naming Danny as the gunman, and Danny was eventually released for lack of evidence.

For Mary Langerich’s case, detectives stopped by the Figueroa home to question Danny on June 21. His family reported that he had been “camping” in the desert for the past few days and had no firm idea when he might return. Detectives also located several boys who had accompanied Figueroa on forays to the desert; the boys reported that he “wore jungle stuff like Rambo and acted real cool.”

The search became a week-long siege with roadblocks, tracking dogs, and helicopters with infrared scopes designed for seeking body heat.

Arrest and apprehension

Hikers spotted Danny Figueroa in Reche Canyon on June 28, barely two miles from his home. Converging helicopters sighted him trying to conceal himself in grass and brush while a squad of twenty deputies with automatic weapons closed the ring on foot.