California suspect fleeing police breaks into home, kills woman, officials say

An hourslong manhunt for a murder suspect through rugged Placer County forestland ended in a fatal shootout early Sunday morning, hours after an alleged crime spree that included randomly shooting and killing an elderly woman inside her home.

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Derek Spencer, 44, had several run-ins with law enforcement before the fatal confrontation, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said in a Sunday news release. “Just this month, Spencer had been arrested three times,” Elise Soviar, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, told SFGATE. 

Spencer was arrested Sept. 3 on suspicion of felony vandalism, assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and resisting arrest, Sept. 13 on suspicion of burglary and Sept. 15 on suspicion of stealing a car, according to the sheriff’s office. He was released after each arrest, Soviar said. Authorities also believe Spencer started the 18-acre Mineral Fire on Sunday in a rural area east of Colfax.

Police allege he stole a vehicle and guns and fired at a moving vehicle in El Dorado County on Sept. 19. The violence continued the following day in Placer County, the sheriff’s office said. Late Saturday morning, Spencer allegedly threatened a couple with a gun in the Iowa Hill area, Soviar said. Deputies searching for him spotted the vehicle he was driving, and the situation quickly escalated. 

“He actually ended up ramming one of our deputy’s patrol cars with the vehicle that he was driving,” Soviar said. “Our deputy was not able to continue chasing after him.” 

From there, Soviar said investigators believe Spencer went into the home of 76-year-old Cheryl Macy, shot and killed her, and then fled into the surrounding forest. Macy was alone and had no known connection to Spencer. Her body was discovered by tactical teams clearing the home during the search for Spencer. “It was random,” Soviar said. “He was on a crime spree.”

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Throughout the night, Spencer remained at large. Several agencies searched the dense forest surrounding Iowa Hill until a California Highway Patrol aircraft detected his location with infrared technology. Tactical teams spent several hours navigating the steep terrain before reaching Spencer at 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

Authorities said he fired several shots, beginning a standoff that eventually culminated around 4 a.m., when Spencer allegedly fired toward deputies again from behind a berm. Deputies returned fire, striking and killing him.

Investigators are still examining the circumstances surrounding Macy’s killing and Spencer’s broader alleged crime spree. Soviar said it remains too early to determine a motive.