by Laurie Merrill - Aug. 29, 2010 11:11 AM
The Arizona Republic
In a custody battle turned deadly, a Lake Havasu City man ordered to stay away from his ex-girlfriend and their children burst into her new boyfriend's birthday party and went on a rampage, fatally shooting her and four others late Saturday night, police said.
He then fled to his sister's house in California with the young children, where he took his own life.
One woman was wounded but survived the attack.
"It is heinous," Lake Havasu City police Sgt. Joe Harrold said Sunday. "This is the worst shooting in the history of Lake Havasu City."
In all, six people died, including gunman Brian Diez, 26; his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Langstaff, 23; and her boyfriend, Primo Verdone, 24, police said.
Langstaff, a nurse at a local hospital, had taken out a restraining order earlier this year preventing Diez from seeing her or the children after he was charged with slapping their infant son, Harrold said.
After opening fire inside Langstaff's home, Diez took their two children, ages 13 months and 4 years, and drove to California, police said.
About 3 a.m. Sunday, Diez's vehicle was spotted at his sister's home in Rancho Cucamonga. San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies discovered Diez had committed suicide by shooting himself.
The children were found safe inside their aunt's house.
Who will take custody of the boy and girl has not been determined, nor has it been decided whether California or Arizona will handle their placement, Harrold said.
He added that as far as investigators have been able to determine, besides Langstaff, Diez did not know the other people he shot. Besides Verdone, they were Russell Nyland, 42; Deborah Nyland, 44; Ashley Nyland, 20; and Brock Kelson, 20.
Deborah Nyland, the lone survivor, was transported to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, where she was treated and released Sunday.
Harrold said Ashley Nyland was a friend of Langstaff, Russell and Deborah Nyland were Ashley's parents and Kelson was her boyfriend.
Hospital staff at Havasu Regional Medical Center, where Langstaff worked as a clinical nurse manager, are "in shock" over her death, spokeswoman Sheena Benson said.
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