Ukiah Traffic Stop Ends in Tragedy: Pacifica Homicide Suspect Takes His Own Life on Highway 101

California Highway Patrol Officer Alex Kimball confirmed the man left dead after a traffic stop near Ukiah this afternoon is connected with a stabbing homicide that occurred in Pacifica, California earlier today. 

ABC7 has identified the suspect as Jason Gillenwater, a firefighter and paramedic out of Colma, California. He allegedly stabbed his ex-wife and her boyfriend this morning leaving the boyfriend dead.

Officer Kimball also confirmed that the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and CHP officers did not fire any rounds.

A press release from the Pacifica Police Department states officers responded to the 200 block of Naomi Avenue at 7:45 a.m. today after reports emerged of a domestic violence incident. 

When officers arrived, they found a man and woman had been stabbed by a suspect who had fled the area on foot. The woman was transported to a nearby hospital but the man succumbed to his injuries at the scene. 

Officers searched the immediate area and did not locate the stabbing suspect. A nearby elementary school was placed on lockdown due to the search. 

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Officers determined the suspect had likely fled the area and declared “there is no public safety threat to the Pacifica Community.”

And then the suspect arrived in Mendocino County.

Scanner traffic from this afternoon paints a vivid picture of the traffic stop near Ukiah and the resulting shooting.

Around 1:23 p.m., a Be-On-the-Lookout was issued to Ukiah area units for a gray Ford F150 truck associated with the Pacifica homicide suspect. The suspect’s vehicle had been flagged driving along State Route 20 near Blue Lakes heading west toward Ukiah.  The suspect was possibly armed with both firearms and a knife. 

Within ten minutes of the BOLO, CHP officers proceeded to position themselves along the Highway 101 corridor and spotted him near the Perkins Street off-ramp. They proceeded to conduct the traffic stop requesting backup. 

Within one minute of pulling the vehicle over between Perkins Street and Gobbi Street, the suspect was reportedly dead with an officer at the scene relaying he had “10-31’d” himself, meaning he had committed suicide. There was no scanner traffic indicating CHP officers had fired their weapons.

As of 4:40 p.m., Highway 101’s southbound lanes appear to have cleared and an officer reported over the scanner they were opening the roadway. Traffic is flowing relatively smoothly as of 4:41 p.m.

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