Man Said to Have Acted Alone in Officer’s Death

Investigators believe the man in custody for allegedly killing a California Highway Patrol officer Friday during a routine traffic stop acted alone, a sheriff’s spokesman said Saturday.

Columbus Allen II, 30, of Stockton was arrested on suspicion of murder after turning himself in at the Stockton police headquarters just hours after the shooting, authorities said.

“We don’t believe anyone else was involved,” said Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Parker.

Officer Earl Scott, 36, was shot in the face about 4:40 a.m. during a traffic stop near Salida, northwest of Modesto. He was the fifth CHP officer to die while on duty since September.

Parker said Allen has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and assaults against officers in the past, but he declined to provide details. Allen “does have an extensive criminal background,” he said.

Allen was being held without bail at the Stanislaus County jail and is expected to be arraigned Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder, according to the district attorney’s office.