Marvin Morales: Former Deputy Accused of Killing His 11-Year-Old Son Is Fatally Shot After High-Speed Chase in California
A tragic and deeply disturbing crime unfolded in Elk Grove, California, on Tuesday morning, December 2, 2025, when an 11-year-old boy was stabbed to death in his home.
The man suspected in the killing was his own father, Marvin Morales, a former Sacramento County sheriff’s.
According to NBC News, he was later shot and killed by law enforcement after a high-speed chase.
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| Marvin Morales |
Elk Grove police say the attack happened shortly after 8 a.m. at the family’s home.
The boy’s mother, who was away at the time, saw the assault happening live on her online security feed, and she immediately called 911 for help.
Police spokesperson Cristina Gonzalez confirmed the devastating outcome, saying the child was rushed to a hospital but “was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.”
A 6-year-old girl was also inside the home during the attack but was not harmed, and authorities have said she is safe.
Soon after the attack, Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper was driving to work when he spotted a vehicle matching the suspect’s description around 9 a.m.
He immediately alerted other officers, and a chase began on Interstate 5, with speeds topping 100 mph, according to sheriff’s spokesperson Amar Gandhi.
The pursuit ended near the junction with State Route 12 in Lodi after the California Highway Patrol laid down a spike strip, CHP Valley Division Chief Tyler Eccles explained during a news conference.
“The SUV lost control after hitting the spike strip and veered off the freeway. It did not collide with any other vehicles,” said the police Chief.
After the crash, officers from multiple agencies — including Sacramento County deputies — opened fire and killed Morales.
Eccles also said that investigators still do not know whether Morales fired a weapon during the encounter.
The suspect, 38-year-old Marvin Morales had been terminated from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office exactly one year earlier after a major misconduct investigation.
According to official reports, Morales had seized narcotics from a suspect and later smoked them inside a sheriff’s station bathroom.
He believed he was using methamphetamine but overdosed on fentanyl instead because the Meth was laced with it, unknown to him.
Other deputies later found him unresponsive with a pipe beside him and drugs hidden in his uniform, and the bodycam video below captured the whole incident.
A hair test later revealed “chronic illicit drug use,” and Morales later admitted to using the seized narcotics. He submitted his resignation on Feb. 2, 2025, and was officially terminated on Feb. 7, 2025.
As with all fatal officer-involved shootings in California, the state Justice Department has opened an investigation. Also, police say the investigation into the child’s death is ongoing.
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