Pictured: Gang member who was 'acting crazy and said he wanted to shoot cops' just before 'he killed two officers - including one just back from maternity leave'

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John Felix, 26, a known gang member, was apprehended early Sunday after a 12-hour standoff with police

A gang member who allegedly shot dead two Palm Springs police officers, was 'acting crazy' and threatening to kill cops moments before he opened fire.

John Felix, 26, a known gang member, was apprehended early Sunday after a 12-hour standoff with police.

He is accused of killing officers Jose Gilbert 'Gil' Vega and Lesley Zerebny - who had just returned from maternity leave. One of their colleagues was also wounded.

Moments before Felix shot and killed the officers, his terrified father, Santos Felix, had allegedly run to a neighbor for help.

'My son is inside and we're scared, he's acting crazy,' neighbor Frances Serrano said the older Felix told her. When it was suggested they call the police he said, 'Yeah, he already knows they are coming, and he is going to shoot them.'

Serrano said she went back inside her house and within minutes police cars arrived and gunfire erupted.

Vega and Zerebny, who had been responding to reports o a family disturbance call Saturday afternoon at the home in a quiet neighborhood of this desert resort city. were shot and killed moments after arriving at the scene.

Zerebny, 27, had been with the department for about 18 months and recently returned from maternity leave after giving birth to a daughter. 

Vega, a married father of eight, was a 35-year veteran who planned to retire in December. He had been working overtime Saturday on his scheduled day off.

Police arrested Felix, who was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening.

He is now facing at least two murder charges. 

Riverside DA's office says Felix will be eligible for the death penalty although they have not decided if they will pursue it.  

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Palm Springs Police Chief Bryan Reyes identified the two officers killed in a shooting on Saturday as Jose Gilbert 'Gil' Vega (left) and Lesley Zerebny (right)

Palm Springs Police Chief Bryan Reyes (above) said Vega was a 35-year veteran of the force, while Zerebny had just returned back to duty after giving birth to a baby girl four months ago

According to the Desert Sun, Felix has ties to criminal organizations and served four years in prison after a failed gangland assassination in 2009. 

Documents reveal Felix was charged with attempted murder but pleaded down to assault with a firearm and admitted his gang connection.

Reyes indicated police had had previous dealings with the suspect, but declined to elaborate.  

Saturday's shooting took place near Sunrise Way and Racquet Club Road in the luxury desert town as officers were responding to a 'family disturbance' around 2pm, Sgt. Hutchinson of Palm Springs Police Department said.

Riverside County SWAT officers quickly sealed off the residential neighborhood as police evacuated some residents. They told others to stay inside their homes, keep their doors locked and not to open them for anyone. 

Palm Springs Police Chief Bryan Reyes tearfully identified the two deceased officers as during an afternoon press conference. 

Lesley Zerebny (pictured with her baby) had just returned from maternity leave when she was shot dead yesterday

Zerebny, 27, was a rookie who had only worked on the police force for about a year and a half

'This is extremely difficult for me,' Reyes said as his voice was breaking. 'Today Palm Springs lost two brave officers. They go out every day and put their boots on the ground for everybody in this community, they gave it all for you.' 

Zerebny, 27, was a rookie who had only worked on the police force for about a year and a half, Reyes said as his voice cracked. 

He explained that Zerebny had just returned back to duty after giving birth to a baby girl four months ago.  

'Here you have a wonderful, young, dedicated female officer that pressed forward every day to make it better for everybody else, and she gave her all,' Reyes said.

Zerebny's husband is a Riverside County sheriff's deputy. 

Reyes said that Vega, who was set to retire in December, was not originally scheduled to work on Saturday, but picked up the shift to work overtime. 

'Here he is, 35 years in, still pushing a patrol car for our community to make it better - on a day he wasn't even scheduled to work,' the chief said. 

Palm Springs Police Officers carry the body of a fellow officer from Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs to a hearse bound for the coroner's office in Indio, California on Saturday

Police officers from several organizations pay tribute as the bodies of two Palm Springs police officers are loaded in hearses bound for the coroner's office on Saturday

Members of the Palm Springs Fire Department and the police department saluted the cortege which was led by the bodies of Vega and Zerebny (above)

The third police officer who was shot is 'alert and doing well' at the local hospital.   

He explained that a woman called 911 saying her son was causing a disturbance at a home on 2700 Cypress Road. 

Reyes said that when officers arrived at 12:18pm, the male refused to open the door and threatened to shoot through the closed door.

The officers were trying to negotiate with the suspect to comply, but he opened fire on them. 

'It was a simple family disturbance and he elected to open fire on a few of the guardians of the city,' Reyes said. 

Dozens of law enforcement officers, including the SWAT team, are searching for the shooter in the area of Cypress and Del Lago roads in Palm Springs. 

Reyes said it's unclear what type of weapon the man used and that the central homicide unit of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department is in charge of the investigation. 

Officers point to a home on Cypress Road after gunshots were fired in Palm Springs, Saturday

The shooter has not been found, as his whereabouts are unknown as of 8:24pm ET. Above armed police officers at the scene

The officers were immediately rushed to a local hospital after the horrific shooting. Scene pictured above

Above police officers from various agencies are shown at their command center on Saturday in Palm Springs

Witnesses say they heard between 10 and 20 gunshots from what sounded like machine guns, the newspaper reported. 

While walking out of the emergency room where the officers had been taken, Palm Springs Mayor Rob Moon said: 'It's probably the worst day of my life.'

Frances Serrano lives directly across the street from where the deadly incident happened and she spoke to the father of the suspected gunman not long after the shooting. 

Serrano was reportedly told that the son, who allegedly has mental issues, wanted to shoot police officers and had a gun, the Desert Sun reported.   

'He came over and asked for help,' she said.

Serrano called 911 and the man walked back towards his house and then soon after she said she heard gunshots.  

Later on Saturday evening, mourners had left flowers and candles at a growing memorial located in front of the police station for the fallen officers (above)

Ron Ristaino, 47, of Rancho Mirage, sets candles at a shrine, while holding his daughter Malayna, 2, and his son Dominic, 12, holds a gift for the peace officers 

A citizen lights candles at a memorial for two slain police officers on Saturday

Palm Springs police chief, Brian Reyes speaks to the press beside a booking photo of suspect John Hernandez Filix aged 26 who is charged with the shooting deaths of two police officers 

'I saw a person on the ground,' said Gerardo Barrera, who was working near the scene. 'Someone kept pumping her chest but she wasn't moving.' 

Barrera said that police arrived right away to the scene.   

'It sounded like fireworks at first,' said Juan Garciano. 'I came out of the house and saw police start to block the roads.'

The Torchwood and Dr. Who star John Barrowman said the shooting took place about 200 yards from his house, as he expressed shock over the 'terrible' incident that took the lives of two officers. 

'There's been a shooting in Palm Springs, two police officers have died and one is, I guess injured,' the actor said in a video shared to Twitter while speaking in what appeared to be his back yard. 

The actor expressed his support for the Palm Springs Police Department along with his husband Scott Gill.

Zerebny (above), 27, was a rookie who had only worked on the police force for about a year and a half. She had just returned back to duty after giving birth to a baby girl four months ago

Peace officers lend each other support at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs on Saturday after the horrific police-involved shooting

Barrowman said that police helicopters were circling above his home in the area, as everything 'is shut down'.  

Later on Saturday evening, mourners had left flowers and candles at a growing memorial located in front of the police station for the fallen officers. 

Lee Weigel, the city's former police chief and a onetime city councilman, said he felt weak at the knees after learning of the shooting deaths.

'It's a family,' Weigel said. 'This is the worst incident in the history of Palm Springs in terms of officer shootings.... This is shocking, a blow to the entire department and community.'

In addition, members of the Palm Springs Fire Department and the police department saluted the cortege which was led by the bodies of Vega and Zerebny.   

It had been 54 years since an on-duty uniformed police officer was killed in Palm Springs.

In front of police headquarters, scores of local residents gathered to leave flowers, balloons and cards.

'I don't even remember anything so vicious and cruel,' said Palm Springs resident Heidi Thompson. 'These officers are responding to a domestic call for somebody in need that they don't even know. They put their life on the line for us, the community. And they get gunned down? I don't understand it.'