A Minnesota man was arrested in Iowa on Sunday, hours after he broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home and gunned her down alongside her new boyfriend.
The woman’s child called 911 just after 4 a.m. and said Randy Thomas Zimmerman, 45, broke into their home and shot his mom, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies arrived and found the 32-year-old woman and 50-year-old man dead from gunshot wounds and issued an alert for Zimmerman.
Multiple agencies in Iowa tracked him down and arrested him about 12 hours later.
KARE identified the victims as Tabitha Trescott and Justin Reinarts, a firefighter with the Hanska Fire Department. They were found on the floor in an upstairs bedroom with gunshots to the head. Two shotgun shells were found on the floor.
Trescott’s son told deputies he awoke to someone shouting profanities and heard him say, “I gave you a chance” before hearing blasts from the shotgun. He said he opened his bedroom door and saw Zimmerman, who pointed the shotgun at him and told him to go back to his room. He did.
The Marshall Independent said the boy is 13. Prosecutors also said Zimmerman’s brother called 911 after getting a text message from the killer saying he’d shot Trescott and Reinarts.
Reinarts had been with the Hanska Fire Department since 2008, KARE reported.
Louisa County deputies spotted Zimmerman’s black 2013 Toyota Camry in Iowa late Sunday afternoon and gave chase, along with law enforcement from multiple other jurisdictions, including Iowa State Police. He refused to stop, often reaching speeds of 100 mph, and fired at least one gunshot at pursuing deputies.
The pursuit eventually stopped Zimmerman with a PIT maneuver. He crashed into a ditch and fled on foot but was easily captured. Police found a shotgun in the vehicle they believe he used in the murders.
KARE reported that Zimmerman had previously been charged in July with six counts of stalking a woman. His criminal history includes convictions for domestic assault, burglary, and DWI.
Zimmerman has waived an extradition hearing and will be returned promptly to Minnesota to face murder charges.
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[Featured image: Randy Zimmerman/Louisa County Sheriff’s Office]
