I-80 Shutdown: How a Domestic Violence Call Ended in a Highway Deputy Shooting

Sunday morning on eastbound I-80 in Citrus Heights turned into a scene of chaos when a domestic violence situation that started on Zinfandel Drive in Rancho Cordova escalated into a nine-hour freeway closure and fatal deputy shooting.

The incident began at 10 a.m. when Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a bloodied woman screaming and running through the streets seeking help. The victim had been violently assaulted for three consecutive days by her ex—beaten, pistol whipped, and strangled to the point of losing consciousness. She managed to escape that morning by playing dead, and neighbors took her in while deputies responded.

When law enforcement arrived at her home, both vehicles were gone. The suspect, identified as 38-year-old William Mattias Kreuzer of Rancho Cordova, had fled in the woman’s car. Deputies spotted him near Kenneth and Fair Oaks Boulevard and attempted a traffic stop, but he refused to yield. Knowing he was armed with at least a pistol, they pursued him eastbound onto I-80. That’s when the situation reached its critical point.

Near the Antelope Road weigh station, Kreuzer voluntarily stopped—then made a sudden U-turn on the active freeway. What happened next, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, was that he pointed a firearm at deputies. At 10:47 a.m., law enforcement opened fire, fatally shooting Kreuzer on the highway itself.

Witness Connor Bugby, driving westbound in the opposite direction, captured video of the moment gunfire erupted. In his account, he heard a barrage of bullets whizzing over his vehicle—a stark reminder that this wasn’t an isolated incident but a public safety emergency unfolding in real time on one of Sacramento’s busiest corridors.

The victim survived with significant injuries and was hospitalized in stable condition. The California Highway Patrol is leading the investigation into the shooting, and no deputies were injured. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 800-799-7233 or by texting START to 88788.