A man who shot and killed another man outside a Crestline market last month in what authorities were initially investigating as an act of self-defense was arrested on suspicion of murder this week, records show.
Alex Opmanis, 27, of Crestline was arrested at a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department facility shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday and booked into San Bernardino County Jail, San Bernardino County booking records show.
He shot and killed 29-year-old Sammy Davis of Crestline during a confrontation just after 9:15 p.m. July 11 outside of Goodwin & Sons Market, at Lake Gregory Drive and Lake Drive, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said at the time in a written statement.
Authorities initially said that Opmanis was approached by three men as he left the market.
Opmanis recognized one of the three men as an associate of a man who had attacked Opmanis in January, resulting in hospitalization, according to the sheriff’s department statement.
“He felt threatened as the three subjects approached, verbally taunting him, and retrieved his firearm from a compartment in his car,” the statement said. “One of the subjects, Sammy Davis, grabbed the victim’s shirt and punched him multiple times. The victim fired his gun, striking Davis and stopping the assault.”
Opmanis was not arrested as the investigation as the investigation continued in the following weeks.
It was not clear Saturday what prompted detectives to reclassify Opmanis from victim to suspect. Investigators could not be reached for comment.
Opmanis was called to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department for follow-up questioning o Thursday, his mother, Patty Preste, said.
He was told detectives wanted him to look at a photo lineup of the two men who accompanied Davis on the night of the shooting, she said. But Opmanis arrived, he was arrested.
Bail for Opmanis was set at $1 million pending his initial court appearance, scheduled Tuesday in San Bernardino County Superior Court, records show.
KTLA’s Alexandria Hernandez contributed to this report.
