Lesa Smith was 61 and lived in Wrightwood, California. On December 29, 2021, deputies from the Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station responded about 5:15 p.m. to a call at her home on Lark Drive and found her in the garage with a gunshot wound. Despite aid from deputies and emergency medical personnel, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her husband, Todd Elliott Smith, 61, was at the home when deputies arrived and was detained and arrested on suspicion of fatally shooting her. He was booked into the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto without bail. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division, Homicide Detail, took over the investigation. The community remembered Lesa for her volunteer work with animal rescues, with friends and neighbors describing her as selfless and giving.

No court date had been scheduled and the investigation was ongoing. If anyone has information about what happened on December 29, 2021, contact the investigators handling the case.