The killer of three family members in Riverside on Friday was a Virginia lawman who under false pretenses developed an online romantic relationship with a teen girl who was the victims’ granddaughter and daughter, investigators said Sunday.

The suspect — who fled with the teenager after the killings and an arson fire at the victims’ home — died in a shootout that night with law enforcement in the Mojave Desert. The teen girl escaped the shootout scene unharmed.

The suspect is Austin Lee Edwards, 28, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, authorities said. Riverside detectives learned Edwards had worked for the Virginia State Police until he was recently employed at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia.

San Bernardino County sheriff’s personnel encountered Edwards and the teen in the suspect’s red Kia Soul in the desert town of Kelso — not Needles as previously reported, the Sheriff’s Department said. At Kelso Cima Road, SWAT intercepted Edwards’ vehicle. During the pursuit, Edwards fired at deputies. Edwards lost control as the pursuit ended and he drove off the road. The teen female who had escaped  was rescued by deputies before Edwards died in the shootout, the Sheriff’s Department said.

Riverside police confirmed those killed Friday were 69-year-old Mark Winek, his wife 65-year-old Sharie Winek and their daughter 38-year-old Brooke Winek.

The exact cause and manner of their deaths are still pending, police said, adding it appeared the  fire at their home Friday was intentionally ignited. It was that fire that led to the discovery of the victims’ bodies.

The teen girl who escaped the desert pursuit scene was unharmed and later placed into protective custody of the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, Riverside police said.

“Detectives determined Edwards had met the female teenager through the common form of online deception known as ‘catfishing,’ where someone pretends to be a different person than they actually are.  It is believed Edwards had developed an online relationship with the teen and obtained her personal information,” Riverside police said in a statement.  “He travelled from Virginia to Riverside where he parked his vehicle in a neighbor’s driveway and walked to the teen’s home.  At some point, he murdered the teen’s grandfather, grandmother and mother before walking back to his vehicle with the teen and leaving.”

“Our hearts go out to the Winek family and their loved ones during this time of tremendous grief, as this is a tragedy for all Riversiders,”  Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez said in a statement.  “This is yet another horrific reminder of the predators existing online who prey on our children.  If you’ve already had a conversation with your kids on how to be safe online and on social media, have it again.  If not, start it now to better protect them.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said that at around 1:15 p.m. Friday, deputies from the Morongo Basin Station and Sheriff’s Aviation Unit observed the suspect’s Kia traveling on Highway 247.

“The driver of the vehicle, Austin Edwards, was … wanted in connection to the homicides and he was believed to be armed and dangerous,” a sheriff’s statement said, relating how sheriff’s and California Highway Patrol aviation units followed the Kia until SWAT could catch up. The Kia traveled south on Highway 247, east on Highway 62 and then to Kelso Cima Road. This area is in the desert north of the 40 Freeway and south of the 15 Freeway, east of Barstow and west of Needles.

Riverside police in their statement noted that prior to the pursuit and the discovery of the house fire, at the crime scene where the Wineks died, “officers were dispatched to check the welfare of a young female who appeared distressed while getting into a Red Kia Soul with a man …” Police were still investigating whether the teen had been kidnapped.

At a vigil on Saturday night, mourners honored the Winek family members who died in the home at 11261 Price Court.

The Wineks were described as a loving family with deep connections to communities in western Riverside County.

“Mark Winek was a loving Father, Grandfather, Uncle, Brother, and Coach at Arlington High School,” organizers of a GoFundMe attempting to raise $100,000 for the family wrote. “Sharie Winek was a sweet and caring Mother, Grandmother, Sister, and Aunt who cherished spending time with her family. Brooke Winek was a beloved single mother with the biggest heart and found her most immense joy in following her daughter in the Color Guard at Arlington High School.”

To the mourners gathered on Price Court late Saturday night, the Wineks were caring friends whose violent deaths came as a shock.

Up until the week before he died, Mark Winek was a regular presence in his friend Ron Smith’s life.

Their 30-year friendship began when they met coaching baseball at Corona High School, Smith said. From then on, Winek became not only a close friend but a beloved figure in the Inland Empire high school sports community – for athletes and coaches alike.

“Mark was a man who was huge in the softball and baseball coaching ranks,” Smith said, adding that he was even a “well-respected coach for teams on the other side.”

Smith and Winek later worked together at Eleanor Roosevelt High School. Winek later left that job, but through birthdays, anniversaries, Notre Dame football, and home renovations, the friends kept in touch.

Smith was a regular at the Wineks’ Price Court home, and helped them remodel their kitchen. Recently, Smith gifted his old friend a signed football from famed University of Notre Dame football underdog Rudy Ruettiger.

“You can’t ask for a better friend than Mark,” Smith said.

Smith said there were no signs of trouble before the killings Friday. The only unusual thing Smith could remember was that the friends hadn’t sent each other Thanksgiving greetings this year.

“It’s a shock,” Smith said. “He’s a dear friend, there’s going to be a hole in my heart that’s going to be hard to fill.”

Sheri Lazzarini, a friend of Mark Winek’s, said she met him when he asked to join her softball coaching staff at La Sierra High School in 1994, while his daughters were attending the school. At La Sierra, she said, “the kids loved him.”

She especially remembered Winek’s dedication to maintaining the school’s baseball field. He even brought his own lawn mower to keep the grass tidy.

After they stopped working together, Lazzarini said Winek, who called her “little sis,” still faithfully texted her on birthdays and holidays. She said he was a “special man.”

“He was a man dedicated to helping student-athletes,” Lazzarini said. “I don’t want the legacy to be what’s happened, because he was a really special man.”

The investigation into the triple homicide was continuing. Anyone with additional and relevant information can contact Detective Josh Ontko at (951) 353-7135 or [email protected], or Detective Bryan Galbreath at (951) 353-7105 or [email protected]

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