Nurse killed; boyfriend allegedly fired on police during I-5 chase

The peace of the University Place Care Center was shattered by deadly gunfire early Saturday.

"It's just a bad thing," said Larry Diesser of Tacoma.  "First thing I thought, hopefully my mother was OK.  And she is."
 
"The patients are good," said a woman who declined to give her name. "Yes, but the staff is very, very shook up.  Some went home because they couldn't work."
 
The devastation of the incident could be heard in the voice of the facility administrator as she announced the sad news.

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"Tragically and without warning, there was a shooting this morning at University Place Care Center that took the life of one of our nurses," said Patricia McDonald.  "This was not a random event.  It appears to have been an act of domestic violence."
 
The Pierce County medical examiner later identified the victim as 27-year-old Jessica Ortega of Spanaway. She leaves behind two kids.

The suspect was identified as 41-year-old Marcos Perea.
 
After the shooting, Perea drove onto I-5.  Soon officers were in close pursuit through Pierce County just across the line to Thurston County.

"And he starts firing at the officers out of the window of his car," said Lakewood Police Lt. Chris Lawler.
  
Lawler said the suspect was shooting as he sped southbound. Suddenly he got off I-5, turned around and got back on the freeway heading north.

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"We're trying to use stop sticks and things to get him to stop," said Lawler. "But it's just not working."

Finally, the officers cornered him with a PIT maneuver.  Then he allegedly got out of his vehicle and opened fire.
 
"Total of 12 officers do shoot," said Lawler. "Six of them are from Lakewood. Five are from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department.  And one is from the town of Steilacoom."
 
 "We tried to stop him multiple times, and he had plenty of time to think about it. But he was intent on not stopping."
 
Court records indicate Perea had a criminal record, including unlawful possession of a firearm.

Records indicate that Ortega had filed for and received a protection order against Perea on Fri, Feb. 19 -- one day before Perea shot her dead.

Cox Media Group