According to a press release from the city's police department, a former Virginia police officer who was suspected of killing a teenager's family in Riverside, California, after "catfishing" her online, was killed in a gunfight while attempting to elude capture.
Austin Lee Edwards, 28, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, was named as the ex-cop. Detectives have stated they think Edwards met the teenager through "catfishing," a type of internet fraud in which a person pretends as someone else.
Virginia Cop Catfished a Teen Girl, Killed Her Family
According to authorities, officers from the Riverside Police were called out on Friday to check on the welfare of a young woman who seemed upset as she got into a red car with a guy.
Just a few homes from the location of the welfare check, 911 dispatchers started receiving reports about a fire while officers were on the scene, CNN reported.
Three adult victims were laying in the front entryway of the flaming house when firefighters arrived. They were victims of an apparent homicide when they were hauled outdoors, according to the release.
Police claim that Edwards formed a relationship with the adolescent online through which he acquired her personal data. The former Virginia state trooper next made his way from Virginia to Riverside, where he parked his car in a neighbor's driveway and made his way to the teen's house on foot, according to the press statement.
Authorities think Edwards killed the youngster's grandfather, grandmother, and mother at some time, then walked back to his car with the teen in tow.
Just after 11 a.m., the horrific occurrence started to take place. In the 11200 block of Price Court on Friday, a young lady who "looked distraught" after getting into a red Kia Soul prompted a call to Riverside police asking them to check on her wellbeing.
Later, investigators learned that the young woman mentioned in the first welfare call had indeed resided at the residence where the bodies of the three persons were discovered, according to the police. The remains discovered in the burned-out Riverside home belonged to the kidnapped teen's parents and grandparents: Mark Winek, 69, Sharie Winek, 65, and Brooke Winek, 38.
Ex-Virginia State Trooper Austin Lee Edwards
According to police, Edwards flew across the nation, parked his car in a neighbor's driveway, then walked to the teen's house where he killed her family before fleeing with the girl. As of Monday, the police have not released the exact causes of death.
Although the fire's cause is still under investigation, authorities claimed it looked to have been "deliberately lit." According to the NY Post, it is unknown if the mother and grandparents died before the fire was reportedly started.
Authorities in Riverside sent a description of Edwards' automobile to law enforcement, and a few hours later Kelso, in San Bernardino County, officers found the car with Edwards and the girl inside.
Deputies who were responding to rounds fired by Edwards were slain, according to the police. On July 6, 2021, Edwards enrolled at the police school after being employed by the Virginia State Police.
He received his trooper degree on January 21, 2022, and until his resignation on October 28, he was assigned to Henrico County in the Richmond division of the organization. Authorities in California reported that Edwards also performed services for the Virginia Washington County Sheriff's Office, as per ABC News.
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