Truck allegedly belonging to suspect who shot, killed cop in Stanislaus County found, search continues
NEWMAN, Calif. (KGO) -- Sadness and fear and now an all-out manhunt after an officer is killed. A small town is reeling as a dragnet closes in on a suspect.
The shooting happened in Newman, a small town between San Jose and Modesto, and about 100 miles from San Francisco.
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Investigators found the suspect's truck hidden in a garage, just a few miles from where the fatal police shooting occurred. The Dodge truck found at a mobile home is believed to be the one the suspect was driving when he gunned down Newman Police Corporal Ronil Singh.
It started with a traffic stop, just before 1 a.m on Wednesday and quickly turned deadly for the 33-year-old Singh.
Deputy Royjindar Singh, with the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department, said, "On that traffic stop, he called off on the radio and called 'shots fired' within the county."
A neighbor posted a video on Snapchat right after the shooting and told us her mother heard the gunfire.
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Vanessa DeLeon, a neighbor, said, "She heard the gunshots about five or six of them."
Police believe this is the man who shot and killed Singh, surveillance stills show the suspect buying beer at a nearby convenience store. Another photo shows the suspect's car, a silver or grey Dodge extended cab pickup in the store parking lot.
Police believe it is the same truck parked in the garage at the mobile home park, but the manhunt for the suspect continues.
A K-9 handler, Singh lived in Modesto and is survived by his wife and a five-month-old son. He worked for the Newman Police Department, one of 13 sworn officers since 2011.
Just two days ago, on Christmas Eve, Singh posted photos on his Facebook page, showing him out on a fishing expedition.
RELATED: Witness recalls hearing several gunshots, vehicle speeding off after officer was shot
The owner of AR, or Auto Resources, Jameel Taha told us the suspect and a relative recently purchased the truck at Taha's used car lot in Merced.
"It's unfortunate, cops out there trying to protect all of us. It's an unfortunate situation, sadly."
If you have any tips, you can leave an anonymous tip by calling Modesto Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636 or the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department tip line at (209) 525-7202. Tipsters can also e-mail tips at http://www.modestopolice.com/CrimeStoppers.
A memorial fund has also been created in Singh:
Take a look at the latest stories, videos and updates on the shooting death of Corporal Ronil Singh.
