Lake County Sheriff IDs deputy and suspect in fatal police shooting

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has identified a 35-year-old man from Madera as the armed man shot and killed Monday by a deputy in Nice.

Jason Richard Sienze brandished a stolen handgun at Deputy Ben Moore around ?12:10 p.m. while driving a stolen 2006 Ford F-350, said Lt. Corey Paulich in a prepared statement.

The deputy fired 18 to 20 rounds at Sienze with an AR-15 rifle, striking him several times and killing him, said Lake County District Attorney Don Anderson, who is investigating the shooting. The incident was captured by the deputy’s body camera.

Nearly 10 deputies and CHP officers were at the scene at the time of the shooting, Anderson said. Moore was closest to the vehicle and the only person to fire shots.

The deadly confrontation occurred within 30 minutes of Sienze allegedly committing two burglaries and attempting to kill someone with a stolen gun.

Sienze, who had been in Lake County for two months and had a criminal history of theft and felony assault outside the county, was seen around 11:40 a.m. acting strangely and talking to himself on Marin Street in Nice, Paulich said. A Chrysler Sebring linked to the suspect was found wrecked and abandoned nearby.

A few minutes later a man matching Sienze’s description was seen knocking on doors on the 3000 block of Highway 20 asking for money, Paulich said. He is suspected of stealing four firearms - including a handgun - and a 1987 black Chevrolet pickup truck from a residence on the block.

Another resident confronted a man believed to be Sienze driving the stolen truck on Nice Road, Paulich said. Sienze allegedly tried to shoot the resident but the handgun misfired. The pickup was later found off the road at the end of Nice Road.

Sienze then broke into a home on the road with a woman and young child inside, Paulich said. The two ran into the bathroom and locked the door.

He then took keys from the home, stole the 2006 Ford F-350 and drove to Lakeview Drive where he was confronted by law enforcement, Paulich said.

Sienze was driving very slowly parallel to Moore on Lakeview Drive when he brandished a gun and was shot, Anderson said.

Moore is a 12-year veteran of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, working as both a correctional officer and deputy sheriff, Paulich said. He has been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation.

You can reach Staff Writer Nick Rahaim at 707-521-5203 or nick.rahaim@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nrahaim.