Suspect in theft dead in California

The suspect in an elder exploitation case is believed to have killed himself in Ontario, Calif., Friday afternoon after a stand-off with police, according to Carson City investigators.Investigators were told the rented truck Ronnal Chancellor, 64, had been driving was identified and recognized as “stolen” and seized. The vehicle had not been returned to the rental company, Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said.Chancellor was wanted after he allegedly stole $30,000 in jewelry and $5,000 in cash along with a revolver from Mary Burgoon, 74, according to an arrest warrant issued last week. The two had been dating for seven months and had been planning to get married in Hawaii, Burgoon told the Nevada Appeal after the warrant had been issued.Furlong said the Carson City Sheriff’s Office was notified the vehicle had been located around 11:30 a.m. Friday.A Carson City detective contacted the hotel around 12:30 p.m. and the hotel clerk said the man presumed to be Ronnal Chancellor was sitting on the steps, smoking a cigarette. The deputy told the clerk to hang up the phone and to call 911, Furlong said.As soon as Chancellor heard or saw police vehicles, he barricaded himself in his hotel room, which was rented under his name. A negotiator talked to Chancellor over the phone.Furlong said at 3:40 p.m., a single gun shot rang out and a man matching Chancellor’s description and with Chancellor’s identification on him was found dead in the room by tactical team called to the scene. “It’s brings a lot of significant closure but it does not close the case,” Furlong said. “There’s a lot of work still to be done.”Chancellor allegedly took the jewelry, gun and money from Burgoon’s safe while she was staying in Sparks waiting for him, Burgoon said.