Fresno man wanted in his mother’s killing dies after shootout with police in SoCal
A man wanted by Fresno police in connection with the killing of his mother has died in an officer-involved shooting in Southern California.
Nick Costales, 34, of Fresno died Monday following a shootout with Pomona police and the California Highway Patrol after officers spotted him around 3:30 p.m. on Interstate 10 in Montclair.
When officers tried to pull him over on an off-ramp in the city of Montclair, Costales got out of the car and shot at officers at least twice, according to Pomona police spokeswoman Aly Mejia.
Police fired back, striking the suspect at least once, Mejia said. He was responsive as he was loaded into an ambulance, she said, and was hospitalized in unknown condition.
Costales died later at a hospital.
Costales was wanted by Fresno police in connection with the killing of his mother, identified as 59-year-old Thelma Vasquez of Fresno, Fresno police Lt. Jeff Bowlan said Tuesday.
Officers around 9 p.m. Sunday arrived at the location in the 4300 block of North Tamera Avenue, north of Ashlan Avenue and west of Marks Avenue, and found Vasquez with severe trauma to her upper body. Bowlan said she had been dead for a couple of days.
Bowlan said Costales was considered a person of interested after homicide detectives learned from family members that Costales lived with Vasquez and that her car, a gray sedan, was missing.
Fresno police put out a statewide broadcast of the vehicle because it wasn’t seen in the area by family members, Bowlan said. Meanwhile, family recorded a phone conversation with Costales, who admitted to killing his mother, Bowlan said. Police then issued an arrest warrant.
Costales, family told investigators, was a former U.S. Marine. He had violent tendencies and used drugs, and the family considered him bipolar, Bowlan said.
Montclair police are investigating the Monday shooting. No officers were injured.
This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 1:50 PM.
