Mark Jorge Gambill: California murder suspect hides in closet for nine hours before being shot by cops
CORONA, CALIFORNIA: Mark Jorge Gambill, a 23-year-old murder suspect in California, was discovered and shot after a nine-hour hideout inside the top of a closet during a police investigation in Corona.
Gambill was found inside a closet in a Corona home after being accused of killing a man on December 28.
(Riverside County Sheriff's Department)
What led to the shooting?
Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office responded to a shooting at the home at 2.18 am, discovering the victim outside suffering from a gunshot wound. As the Special Enforcement Bureau arrived to search the home, suspicions arose that Gambill was hiding inside.
The unfolding events were captured on bodycam footage as armed officers located the suspect on the top shelf of a closet inside a bright pink bedroom, culminating in a confrontation where the suspect was shot and taken into custody.
Bodycam reveals police confrontation
The body camera video begins with multiple officers inside the home, holding guns and searching the rooms. They enter a pink-painted room resembling a girl's space, with stuffed animals. An officer asks, "What do you wanna do first?" Another officer replies, "Go after him first," as per Daily Mail.
The officer with the body cam then raises his gun as another carefully pries open one of the sliding closet doors. Deputies move their guns toward the closet, shining flashlights inside, before sliding open the other door slightly. Dogs bark in the background as the cop locates Gambill, instructing him not to move.
"Don't f*****g move," the officer says to the suspect. The video captures the tense moments as officers command Gambill to back out of the room before the confrontation escalates.
What are the charges against Mark Jorge Gambill?
Gambill, shot during the encounter, received medical aid from deputies until paramedics arrived. He was then taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The circumstances leading to the shooting remain unclear, including whether he was armed when found.
The murder victim's identity and motive behind the killing remain undisclosed. Gambill was charged with murder and resisting arrest on January 3, and is currently held on a $2 million bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center.
