Sacramento sheriff’s detectives arrest Rancho Cordova homicide suspect after Elk Grove shooting
Sacramento County sheriff’s homicide detectives investigating the death of a woman killed in Rancho Cordova arrested a suspect who was wounded in a police shooting in Elk Grove after a vehicle pursuit.
Devian Lewis, 22, was wounded and taken into custody after the shooting in Elk Grove, said Sgt. Amar Gandhi, a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office spokesman. Lewis was identified as a suspect in the stabbing homicide of the 18-year-old woman killed in Rancho Cordova.
The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office on Friday identified the victim as Saraiah Acosta.
Gandhi said Lewis was the only person struck by gunfire, and there were no other reported injuries during the officer-involved shooting in Elk Grove.
Police said Lewis suffered three gunshot wounds and remained hospitalized Thursday afternoon. Authorities found a gun in his car after the chase, but it was later determined to be a replica firearm.
The Rancho Cordova Police Department was called about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday to a home in the 3000 block of Ramsgate Way, Gandhi said. The homicide was reported in a residential neighborhood, just east of Mather Field Road and a few blocks south of Folsom Boulevard.
A witness reported a man stabbed the woman and ran her over with a vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday afternoon in a news release as investigators revealed new details about the homicide.
Officers arrived at the Ramsgate Way home and found the woman suffering from multiple stab wounds, sheriff’s officials said. Medics with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District arrived shortly after and began to provide medical aid. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Sheriff’s Office is contracted to provide police services for the city of Rancho Cordova. All homicides in Rancho Cordova are investigated by sheriff’s detectives.
Homicide detectives and crime scene investigators took over the investigation, questioning witnesses and gathering evidence. Based on their investigation, the detectives identified Lewis as a suspect in the woman’s death.
CHP chase started in Solano County
Detectives were searching for Lewis when they learned hours later that the California Highway Patrol was pursuing Lewis as he drove on Interstate 80 near Dixon in Solano County. Sheriff’s officials, including the detectives and a K-9 Unit, joined the CHP in the pursuit as it continued through Sacramento south on Highway 99.
Sheriff’s officials said deputies learned during the chase that Lewis was armed with a weapon.
The Elk Police Department on Thursday afternoon issued an updated news release that revealed more details about the police shooting.
“The following information is based on a preliminary and ongoing investigation, which continues to evolve as investigators interview witnesses, review physical and electronic records and analyze forensic evidence,” police said Thursday. “The department’s understanding of the facts and circumstances may change as additional evidence is collected and analyzed.”
About 4:40 p.m., Elk Grove officers were notified of the sheriff’s pursuit of a homicide suspect, police said. The chase, which reportedly started near Fairfield, had now exited Highway 99 at Cosumnes River Boulevard.
The pursuit then entered the Elk Grove police jurisdiction, and officers joined the vehicle chase, said police spokesman Sgt. Jason Jimenez.
The chase continued to the intersection of Bruceville Road and Big Horn Boulevard, where the suspect vehicle rear-ended another vehicle stopped at a traffic light, Jimenez said. Lewis was the only occupant in the one vehicle.
Elk Grove police shooting
Three Elk Grove police officers fired their department-issued guns at the suspect after Lewis started to get out of the vehicle “holding what appeared to be a firearm,” police said on Thursday.
Officers and deputies provided medical aid at the scene until medics arrived and took Lewis to a hospital, where he remained Thursday in stable condition while being treated for three gunshot wounds, according to the Police Department.
Jimenez said on Wednesday that no other law enforcement officials at the scene fired their weapons, and he did not know how many gunshots were fired or whether Lewis fired a weapon during the confrontation with police.
Authorities said they found a firearm in the front passenger seat of the suspect vehicle. After further inspection, investigators determined it was a replica firearm, police said.
“We are in the process of collecting all video footage, including body-worn cameras and in-car cameras,” police said Thursday. “We are working on releasing video footage as soon as possible.”
The Police Department indicated video of the shooting will be released at a date that’s in compliance with state law.
In addition to Elk Grove police, two independent investigations of the shooting also were underway by the department’s Professional Standards Bureau and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
In accordance with Police Department policy, the officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave. The officers’ names were not released.
This story was originally published February 1, 2023 at 4:37 PM.
