REDLANDS, CA – In a chilling incident that has left a California community reeling, authorities say a man orchestrated a deadly attack against his half-brother and allegedly endangered two children in a calculated act of violence before dawn on Tuesday.
Police arrested 32-year-old Zackary Brodowski, who is accused of fatally shooting his half-brother, Aaron Richard Rivera, and attempting to harm Rivera’s sleeping children by releasing natural gas into a Redlands apartment.
Officers rushed to the Rivera Apartments complex on Kansas Street following urgent reports of gunfire. When they arrived, they discovered Rivera, 36, lifeless inside his home, struck by multiple bullets.
But the horror did not end there. Investigators at the scene detected the odor of gas permeating the unit. According to police, stove burners had been left on intentionally, filling the apartment with potentially lethal fumes while Rivera’s two young children lay sleeping in adjacent rooms, unaware of the invisible danger.
Quick actions by first responders prevented what could have been another tragedy. Authorities removed the children from the residence, averting a possible explosion or poisoning.
Law enforcement immediately launched a manhunt for Brodowski. Surveillance video from the apartment complex, reviewed by investigators, appeared to show the suspect fleeing swiftly in a silver Ford Focus after the shooting. Detectives traced the vehicle to an address in Calimesa, roughly 20 miles away.
As the manhunt unfolded, police coordinated a tactical operation to apprehend Brodowski. Members of the Special Weapons and Tactics team and detectives established surveillance near his home in Calimesa, carefully planning to prevent any escalation.
Brodowski was taken into custody later that same day without incident. Authorities soon executed a search warrant at his home, uncovering a firearm believed to have been used in the shooting, along with clothing matching what was seen on surveillance recordings.
Police officially identified Brodowski as Rivera’s half-brother. Family members and evidence collected at the scene reportedly supported this connection.
The alleged killer now sits behind bars at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, being held without bail as he faces charges of murder and attempted murder.
As investigators continue to unravel the sequence of events and motives leading up to the tragedy, Redlands residents are grappling with the violent loss suffered by one family—and the terrifying close call for two children who survived.