A Southern California man is being held without bail after authorities say he shot and killed his half-brother and then attempted to kill the victim’s children by leaving cooking gas running inside the apartment. Zackary Brodowski, 32, has been charged with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder, according to the Redlands Police Department.
Investigators say the case involves both a fatal shooting and a separate act that placed two children in extreme danger. The incident unfolded early Tuesday morning at an apartment complex on Kansas Street in Redlands, a city in California’s Inland Empire region about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. Police said they received a report of shots fired at the Rivera Apartments during the early morning hours.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found 36-year-old Aaron Richard Rivera inside the apartment. He was pronounced dead at the scene from what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds, according to a department press release issued on Christmas Eve. What officers discovered next raised even greater concern. Police allege Brodowski left the gas burners on the kitchen stove running before fleeing the apartment.
At the time, Rivera’s two children were reportedly inside the home, asleep and alone, creating what authorities describe as a potentially deadly situation. “Family members and evidence located at the scene indicated the suspect was the victim’s half-brother,” the police department said in the press release identifying Brodowski as the suspect.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the apartment complex, which they say captured Brodowski leaving the scene immediately after the shooting. The footage also allegedly showed him driving away in a silver 2008 Ford Focus. As the investigation continued, officers were able to track down both the suspect and the vehicle later that same day.
According to police, detectives located Brodowski at a residence on the 900 block of California Street in Calimesa, a small community southeast of Redlands. “Detectives were able to locate the suspect and the vehicle at his residence in the 900 block of California Street in Calimesa,” the press release states. “Detectives and members of the Special Weapons and Tactics team set up surveillance on the residence.”
Authorities say Brodowski was taken into custody without incident following the surveillance operation. No injuries were reported during the arrest. Afterward, investigators executed a search warrant at the Calimesa residence. During the search, police say they recovered “a firearm believed to be the murder weapon and clothing matching the clothing worn at the time of the shooting.”
The items were seized as evidence as the case moved forward. Brodowski is currently being held without bail at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. Jail records show he remains in custody as prosecutors prepare the case against him. Authorities have not released details about a possible motive, and police have not said whether the children were physically harmed.
Investigators emphasized that the gas left running in the apartment could have caused serious injury or death had officers not intervened. The case remains under investigation, and officials say additional details may be released as court proceedings begin.
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