Around 10:30 p.m., dispatchers got a call about an argument between a man and a woman at the Sierra Inn Motel. During the incident, the man allegedly pointed a gun at the woman's head. The suspect left before deputies arrived. A search started, and the man shot a deputy who was interviewing the victim. Police started searching the apartment complex. Eventually, the man emerged from an apartment holding an elderly woman hostage with a gun. Officers shot and killed Mark Aitulagi Lavea and shot and wounded the hostage.
Agency: Calaveras County Sheriff's Office
Motive: hostage situation
Confrontation Type: Violent Crime
Service Call: Yes
Official Disposition: Pending investigation
Victim Name: Mark Aitulagi Lavea
Death Date: May 6, 2021
County: Calaveras
Geography: Rural
Gender: Male
Age: 47
Race: White
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: No
Armed: Allegedly Armed
Weapon: gun
Threat Level: other
Fleeing: not fleeing