Deputy Rudy Mirelez Remains in Critical Condition

Mariposa deputy injured in shootout identified
Family of injured deputy issues brief statement; requests privacy
Merced Sun Star
Sun-Star staff
October 4, 2015

A Mariposa County deputy sheriff shot in a gunfight last week, allegedly with a Merced man, was identified Sunday.

Deputy Rudy Mirelez, 39, remained in critical condition Sunday at a Modesto hospital, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Officials said Mirelez is expected to “undergo many more surgeries on his road to recovery.”

In a brief statement issued Sunday, Mirelez’s wife, Christine, thanked the sheriff’s offices of both Mariposa and Stanislaus counties for the “round-the-clock support for Rudy” and the outpouring of community support since the incident Thursday morning.

“Rudy’s recovery is our biggest concern and we would like to ask for your continued thoughts and prayers and request that you respect our privacy as we continue to process this tragic event and support our husband and father,” Christine Mirelez said in the statement.

Brian Ballasch, 35, of Merced, has been accused of shooting at four deputies, including Mirelez, around 6 a.m. Thursday on Highway 49, south of Mariposa. Ballasch has been described by deputies as a U.S. Marine Corps veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He also was wounded during the incident and is expected to recover.

He has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer.
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Too many lives shattered