Tony Zeppetella, 27, was shot as he approached the car window of a suspect he had stopped in the parking lot of a credit union in Oceanside.

Zeppetella (pictured, left) had just finished his field training and was assigned to the night watch, police spokeswoman Karen McDonough said.

Following the shooting, the suspect allegedly fled in the officer's car and holed up in a home belonging to his ex-wife's parents on Via Isidro, McDonough said.

The 30-year-old alleged to have shot and killed Zeppetella was expected to be arraigned Wednesday on a murder charge, according to 10News.

The hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. for Adrian George Camacho, who was behind bars Monday at Vista Detention Facility. He was being held without bail.

Camacho eventually surrendered to police and a subsequent search of the house yielded two handguns, one of them the officer's weapon, McDonough said.

Camacho had a gunshot wound to his right leg, apparently from Zeppetella, who was able to return fire, said McDonough.

"This is a sad day for the Oceanside Police Department and our profession," McDonough said. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the officer's family and friends."

Zeppetella, who was with the department about 13 months, was gunned down at about 5 p.m. He was shot three times, including once in the neck, and died at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido about an hour after surgery, officials said.

Zappetella's death has weighed heavy on the minds of other officers.

"It's scary. It makes you worry about your children and what scares me personally is my children not having a father," fellow Oceanside officer Matt Christensen said.

The Oceanside Police Officers Association have set up a memorial fund for Zeppetella's family at Washington Mutual Bank. Donations can be made to the "OPOA Tony Zeppetella Memorial Fund" at any Washington Mutual branch.

Previous Story:

• June 15, 2003: Killed Cop Identified, Suspect In Jail