Man Suspected of Fatally Shooting Son

A Hemet octogenarian allegedly gunned down his 31-year-old son October 8 during a confrontation at the suspect’s residence.

Salvador Aceves Curiel, 84 was arrested and booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of murder, with bail set at $2 million, according to Hemet police Lt. Jeff Davis.

The suspect allegedly shot Ricardo Curiel once in the upper body with a handgun about 2 a.m. in the 2400 block of Oakland Avenue, near Kirby Street. What prompted the confrontation was not revealed.

Other family members were present during the shooting, and police officers were summoned immediately, according to Davis.  They arrived to find Curiel’s relatives standing around the wounded man who was taken to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley, where he died a short time later, according to the lieutenant.

Salvador Curiel was questioned and taken into custody without a struggle. 

San Jacinto slaying of 40 year old woman

On the morning of April 29, 2017, Latoya Calhoun, 40 was killed by multiple gunshots while riding in a car with convicted felon Traevon Denae Stewart, 43, and was then shoved out of the moving vehicle into a ditch in the 2600 block of Esplanade Avenue near Kirby Street in San Jacinto.  Paramedics arriving minutes later pronounced her dead at the scene. Stewart was arrested in Banning two days later along with Michael Wayne Bird who was charged as accessory after the fact. A possible motive for the attack has not been disclosed. 

Along with the murder count, Stewart is charged with a special circumstance allegation of killing in the course of a robbery, as well as two counts of making criminal threats and one count of felony evading.  Steward is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. 

Very little information has been made known about the victim other than that she and the defendant were acquainted.  Her nickname was Toya, was the mother of two, a generous, loving, protective person and a “hustler” from birth. 

Trial proceedings resume on October 9 in the Riverside County Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta with pretrial motions being heard today ahead of jury selection

The defendant’s case was transferred from the Banning Justice Center to the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, where Riverside County Superior Court Kelly Hanson heard pretrial motions related to scheduling, proposed witnesses and other matters.

Hanson is expected to summon prospective jurors for screening as to their availability and qualifications Tuesday or Wednesday and testimony is likely to begin next week.

According to court records, Steward has prior convictions for assault with a firearm and possession of drugs for sale.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Crime Briefs – October 10

The post Crime Briefs – October 10, 2019 appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

INDIO

Police Searching for Theft Suspect in Indio

Authorities searched an Indio neighborhood on Wednesday, September 11 for a man wanted on felony warrants who took off running when an officer spotted him.

A patrol officer was on Deglet Noor Avenue near Requa Street around noon when he noticed a man walking in the area who had active theft and weapons warrants, according to Indio police spokesman Ben Guitron. The man fled when he saw the officer.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter crew was assisting Indio police with the search, which was continuing early Wednesday afternoon, Guitron said.

There was no immediate threat to public safety, Guitron said. A description of the suspect was not immediately available.

City News Service

RIVERSIDE

Riverside County’s First Flu-Related Death Reported This Season

A Perris child died from complications from the flu, marking the first death originating in Riverside County in the current influenza season, health officials said on September 11.

“We should never forget that the flu still kills,” said Dr. Cameron Kaiser, the county’s public health officer. “I always recommend people get their flu shots every year, but a death so early in the flu season suggests this year may be worse than usual. Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones who are grieving.”

Riverside University Health System officials said the child, who was 4 years old, suffered underlying maladies and was taken to a hospital outside of the county for treatment in recent weeks, but could not be saved.

Officials could not confirm whether the child, who was not identified, had received a flu vaccination.

During the 2018-19 influenza season, nine people died from flu-related complications in Riverside County, and in the prior season, 23 died, according to RUHS.

The flu is a respiratory illness marked by fever, coughing, sore throat, fatigue, head and body aches. Vomiting and diarrhea are also known to occur.

According to health officials, frequent hand-washing and “social distancing” — avoiding someone exhibiting symptoms — are sure methods to preclude contracting the flu, which is passed through droplets from a sick person’s cough or sneeze.

People fighting infections should minimize contact with others until their symptoms abate.

Flu shots are available at the Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley, at any of the county’s 10 health clinics, as well as most pharmacies and doctors’ offices.

Flu season generally spans early fall to early spring.

City News Service

THOUSAND PALMS

Man Killed In Crash In Thousand Palms

 An investigation was underway on September 11 into the death of a man whose car drifted off a Thousand Palms roadway and slammed into the back of a parked big rig whose sleeping driver escaped injury.

The deadly crash happened about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, September 10 on Ramon Road just west of Robert Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A 56-year-old Yucca Valley resident was westbound on Ramon Road when his 2017 Nissan Sentra drifted to the right side of the roadway and struck the truck, which was parked on the shoulder, CHP Officer Jacquelene Quintero said.

The driver of the big rig was asleep in the sleeper compartment at the time, the officer said. The Sentra driver — who was not wearing a seat belt — was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was not immediately released.

Quintero said alcohol and drugs do not appear to be factors in the crash.

City News Service

RIVERSIDE

Gasoline Price: Riverside County Gas Price Drops For Fourth Time in Five Days

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County dropped three-tenths of a cent on September 11 to $3.589, the fourth decrease in five days following an eight-day streak of increases totaling 10.2 cents.

   The average price is eight-tenths of a cent more than one week ago, 4 cents higher than a month ago and 3.4 cents greater than one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It has risen 32.1 cents since the start of the year.

   The average price dropped three-tenths of a cent last Saturday and one-tenth of a cent on Sunday, rose four-tenths of a cent on Monday and dropped two- tenths of a cent Tuesday.

City News Service

INDIO

9/11 Jury Selection Continues For Man Accused Of Killing Girlfriend’s Child

Jury selection continued on September 11 for the trial of a parolee charged with murder in the death of his girlfriend’s toddler nearly a decade ago.

Esteban Alamo, who was 24 at the time of his arrest and is now 33 years old, is suspected of beating 1-year-old Serik Nieto, who died on Oct. 9, 2010.

Jury selection for Alamo’s trial has been ongoing since Monday, September 9 and is scheduled to continue on Thursday, September 12.

Alamo was living with the baby’s mother in Indio at the time of the infant’s death, allegedly violating a requirement of his parole that he remain in Los Angeles County.

Police interviewed Alamo when the victim was first taken to a hospital, but didn’t realize he was allegedly in violation of his parole. He was arrested on Oct. 14, 2010, in the Los Angeles area.

It took Riverside County coroner’s officials several months to complete an autopsy, and charges were not filed against Alamo until February 2011.

Alamo has remained in custody in lieu of $1 million bail while his case has gone through various delays.

City News Service

VENTURA

California man charged with shooting protected mountain lion

A Simi Valley man was charged with shooting and killing a protected mountain lion that roamed the mountains northwest of Los Angeles and was wearing a GPS tracking collar.

Alfredo Gonzalez, 60, was charged with two misdemeanors for allegedly shooting the male cougar, known as P-38, and vandalizing its collar, the Ventura County district attorney’s office announced Tuesday.

It is illegal to shoot a mountain lion without a state permit.

Prosecutors believe that Gonzalez shot the animal in the head in Simi Valley, possibly on July 2, when National Park Service researchers received a “mortality signal” from the collar, the agency said.

Prosecutors have not released a possible motive for the shooting.

P-38 was born in 2012 and was known to roam the Santa Susana Mountains. He was believed to have fathered four litters of cubs.

The mountain lion was part of a population that park service biologists have been studying for more than a decade.

If convicted, Gonzalez could be sentenced to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. He also might have to pay $2,300 in restitution for vandalizing the collar, the district attorney’s office said.

It was not immediately clear whether Gonzalez had an attorney.

AP News

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Crime Briefs – September 13

The post Crime Briefs – September 13, 2019 appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

THERMAL

Man Arrested In Thermal After Barricading Himself In Home

A man who allegedly barricaded himself inside a Thermal home when sheriff’s deputies arrived to serve arrest and search warrants was behind bars today.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department received a complaint on Aug. 27 involving alleged criminal threats and a felon in possession of a firearm at a home in the 88700 block of Thermal, and arrived a week later with a warrant to search the home, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Sal Gonzalez.

When deputies arrived at the residence on Tuesday, 31-year-old Jose Eduardo Mascareno — who was also wanted on two outstanding felony arrest warrants — holed up inside, the sergeant said. Deputies initially deployed a remote-controlled robot and a K-9 unit to search the home before making entry, he said. They found Mascareno hiding behind a dresser in one of the bedrooms, Gonzalez said.

Mascareno was booked into the Indio jail, with bail set at $150,000.

City News Service

BANNING

Felon Charged with Leading Cops on 30-Mile Chase

Felony charges were filed today against a parolee accused of stealing an SUV in Hemet and leading law enforcement officers on a 30-mile chase into Moreno Valley, where he was captured.

Andrew Devin Barnes, 34, of Hemet, was slated to make his initial court appearance this afternoon at the Banning Justice Center on charges of evading and receiving a stolen vehicle and parole violations.

According to Hemet police Lt. Nate Miller, a patrolman cruising the 600 block of West Florida Avenue about 7 p.m. Thursday spotted a red Saturn Vue occupied by a man and woman who were behaving suspiciously.

The officer ran a check on the compact SUV’s license plate and confirmed that it had been reported stolen earlier in the week, Miller said.

He said the officer signaled the driver to pull over, and the convicted felon initially complied, but before the lawman could approach the Saturn, Barnes allegedly accelerated, triggering a non-injury pursuit that went north through San Jacinto and then west into Homeland, where Barnes turned onto northbound Interstate 215.

California Highway Patrol officers took over the high-speed pursuit, with a Riverside County sheriff’s helicopter crew tracking overhead, Miller said.

When the defendant reached Moreno Valley, he stopped on Golden Crest Drive and bailed out of the Saturn, leaving his female companion sitting in the front passenger seat, according to the lieutenant.

Officers quickly caught up to Barnes and took him into custody without further incident. He was booked at the Smith Correctional Facility, with bail set at $170,000.

The woman was questioned and released at the scene.

According to court records, the defendant has prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats and theft.

City News Service

CABAZON

Man Killed In Cabazon Crash ID’d

Authorities today released the name of a New Mexico man killed in a collision on Interstate 10 in Cabazon.

Scott Fliegel, 56, of Albuquerque, was pronounced dead at the scene of the two-vehicle crash, which was reported at 10:08 a.m. Tuesday on eastbound I-10 near Main Street, according to the California Highway Patrol and the coroner’s office.

Fliegel’s passenger, a 43-year-old woman from Albuquerque, was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center with moderate injuries, and the other driver, a  Torrance man, was treated for minor injuries at San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital in Banning, the CHP reported.

The 51-year-old motorist, whose name was not released, was weaving in and out of traffic in a 2008 Mercury Marquis when he swerved into Fliegel’s Ford F-150 pickup truck in another lane, CHP Officer Darren Meyer said.

The back of the Mercury struck the front of the truck, causing both drivers to lose control of their vehicles, which slid sideways toward the right- hand shoulder, Meyer said. Both vehicles overturned, tumbled down an embankment and landed on Railroad Avenue just south of the freeway, he said.

Meyer said an investigation was underway to determine whether alcohol, drugs, driver distraction and mechanical failure may be factors in the Collision.

City News Service

HEMET

Water Leak in Hemet Causes Brown Water, Repairs Set to Resume

Work to repair a large leak in Hemet’s main water distribution line is set to resume today.

The leak occurred in a facility near Ivy Street and Carnation Avenue about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and stirred up sediments that turned water brown, according to the Hemet Water Department. It affected water pressure, turned water brown and prompted city officials to warn residents not to use tap water until repairs could be made.

Water department officials announced about 5 p.m. Tuesday repair crews had isolated the water main leak and secured the site for repairs.

Due to the location of the water main line impacted, the department asked all other utilities in the area to locate and mark any underground utility infrastructure near the repair site.

Ivy Street between Wildflower Street and Carnation Avenue will be closed during the repair, officials said.

The brown water caused by the main line leak should begin to subside as system pressure normalizes. Water department officials warned residents it could take up to 24 hours to flush the system and clear water of sediments and the brown color and they could experience a drop in water pressure while repairs were underway.

The discolored water is not dangerous, but the water department recommended that residents temporarily not use tap water for any nonessential purposes in order to allow time for the sediments to clear.

Once repairs have been completed, residents were urged to open their cold water faucets and let the water flow until clear, then do the same with the hot water. Once both cold and hot water was clear, water is ready for use as normal, the water department said.

City News Service

RIVERSIDE

Average Riverside County Gas Price Rises For Sixth Consecutive Day

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County posted its sixth consecutive increase today after dropping 23 times in 25 days to its lowest amount since March 26.

The average price rose eighth-tenths of a cent Wednesday to $3.581. It has risen 8.9 cents over the past six days, including 1.2 cents on Tuesday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It is 8.7 cents more than one week ago and 3.8 cents higher than one year ago but six- tenths of a cent less than one month ago.

The increasing pump prices stem from Southern California refiners buying gasoline supply on the wholesale market last week, which drove wholesale prices up by about 30 cents, according to Marie Montgomery of the Automobile Club of Southern California.

City News Service

INDIO

Man Accused Of Stabbing Sister To Make Court Appearance

A Desert Hot Springs man who allegedly stabbed his sister in the face is due back in court today.

Juan Angel Lopez, 38, is scheduled to appear this morning for a trial- readiness conference. He’s accused of attacking his sister on Dec. 7, 2017 at a transient camp in the Desert Hot Springs.

After the two argued on and off throughout the day, Lopez allegedly approached his then 35-year-old sister while she was talking to someone and stabbed her in the face with a knife, according to an arrest warrant declaration.

He was originally charged in early 2018 with attempted murder, mayhem and several sentence enhancements for causing great bodily injury, but a judge dismissed the attempted murder charge in January.

The nature of the argument between Lopez and his sister was not detailed in the warrant, nor was the severity of her injuries.

The sister, as well as other witnesses, positively identified Lopez as the suspect, according to the declaration, which also alleges that he sent several text messages to one of the witnesses that indicated he was coming to the area to stab his sister.

Lopez remains jailed in Indio in lieu of $1 million bail.

City News Service

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Crime Briefs

The post Crime Briefs – September 06, 2019 appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Child Sexual Abuse Suspect Pleads Not Guilty

INDIO (CNS) – A school volunteer arrested in Palm Desert for alleged child sexual abuse and distribution of child pornography pleaded not guilty today.

James McCall Anderson, 31, is accused of six felony charges relating to possessing, sending, and distributing child pornography. He also faces one misdemeanor count of endangering or abusing a child and two misdemeanor counts of committing immoral acts before a child — which a criminal complaint describes as being “habitually drunk” in the presence of at least one child in his care or custody.

The complaint also describes Anderson and Devin Daniel Lujan, 28, as having engaged in a sexual act with a child before their arrests on June 28. The two were taken into custody in the 74000 blocks of Scholar Lane in Palm Desert after deputies were tipped off to an allegation of child sexual abuse.

Lujan, who pleaded not guilty last month to willfully harming a child, two felony counts of lewd acts with a minor and two felony counts of oral copulation with a minor, appeared in court Wednesday morning for a scheduled felony settlement conference. He is being held in lieu of $5 million bails. Prosecutors made a motion to increase Anderson’s bail, which will be heard Oct. 7. He remains out of custody on $30,000.

Both defendants volunteered at George Washington Charter School in Palm Desert, Desert Sands Unified School District spokeswoman Mary Perry told The Desert Sun, and Lujan was also a teacher at the Bermuda Dunes Learning Center.

Fugitive Who Allegedly Snatched Son Apprehended in Mexico

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – A Perris man who allegedly abducted his young son 18 months ago and fled the country was apprehended in Mexico and extradited to Riverside County, the District Attorney’s Office announced today.

Yasar Bader Aqel, 42, was captured in Baja California Monday, in transit with his son, who was not injured, officials said. According to District Attorney’s Office Public Information Officer John Hall, the defendant, and child were immediately returned to the U.S., at which point county Child Protective Services staff took custody of the boy, and Aqel was booked into the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, where he’s being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Aqel is slated to be arraigned Wednesday in Riverside for alleged probation violations and child concealing. Hall said that in February 2018, Angel was on visitation with his son when he allegedly fled overseas with the boy, possibly going to the Middle East before ending up in Mexico.

Aqel did not have custody rights, and was on probation for misdemeanor child concealment after taking his daughter without his ex-spouse’s permission, according to prosecutors.

Investigators with the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, which includes law enforcement personnel from Riverside County, picked up Aqel’s trail and, after learning he was in Mexico, notified the state police there, culminating in his apprehension, the District Attorney’s Office said.

Man to Stand Trial for Allegedly Murdering Stepdad

MURRIETA (CNS) – A 20-year-old Hemet man accused in the stabbing death of his stepfather must stand trial on a murder charge, a judge ruled today.

Alonso Rodriguez Jr. is charged with killing 36-year-old Luis Perez at the victim’s home the night of May 13, 2018. Following a preliminary hearing at the Southwest Justice Center, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Kelly Hansen found there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial on the murder count, as well as a sentence- enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

Rodriguez is being held in lieu of $1 million bails at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta and is due back in court on Sept. 27 for a post- preliminary hearing arraignment at the Banning Justice Center. According to Hemet police Lt. Eddie Pust, there was a confrontation between the victim and his stepson, who allegedly stabbed him multiple times about 11:20 p.m. at his home in the 1000 block of North State Street, near Fruitvale Avenue.

Officers were called to the scene moments after the assault and discovered Perez clinging to life. He was taken to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley, where he died four hours later.

A motive for the attack was not disclosed.

The defendant was taken into custody without a struggle on State Street the following night, along with a 20-year-old friend who was not charged in the case.

Rodriguez has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Crime Briefs

The post CRIME BRIEFS – August 30, 2019 appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

MURRIETA

Man Admits Sexually Assaulting Menifee Girl

A 22-year-old man who groped a girl in a Menifee park pleaded guilty to lewd acts on a child on Wednesday, August 21. 

Roland George Riddell admitted the felony count during a status hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Mark Mandio scheduled a sentencing hearing for Oct. 24. Riddell is free on a $55,000 bond. According to sheriff’s officials, on the evening of April 21, 2018, Riddell was roaming La Ladera Park when he accosted the young girl, whose name was not released and whom Riddell did not know.

Riddell touched the child’s buttocks several times while speaking to her, prompting adults supervising other children nearby to shout at him, investigators said.

Riddell tried to run away, but several men chased him to the edge of the park and grabbed him, holding him until deputies arrived.

No one was injured.

Part of the apprehension was videotaped by a witness using a cellphone, authorities said.

Riddell’s attorney sought a mental health assessment, but that endeavor was abandoned when the plea agreement was reached, according to court records. Riddell has no documented prior felony convictions.

Palm Desert

DUI Traffic Collision

On Wednesday, August 21, 2019, at approximately 4:00 PM, Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Palm Desert Station, responded to a single-vehicle traffic collision on the 49-000 block of Hwy 74, Palm Desert.  It was determined the driver, Mark Jonathan Wilson, 60 years of Palm Desert, was traveling southbound on Hwy 74 when he veered off the roadway and collided with a wall. Wilson suffered superficial injuries as a result of the collision.  During the investigation, it was determined Wilson showed symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Wilson was arrested for driving under the influence and was transported to a local hospital as a precaution. Once treated, he was booked into the Riverside County Jail in Indio. 

Lake Elsinore

Homicide

On Saturday, August 17, 2019, at 7:55 PM, deputies from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff Station responded to a report of a deceased male, in an open area west of the roadway at S. Main Divide about 3.5 miles south of Ortega Highway. CAL Fire initially responded and pronounced the male deceased. Based on trauma found on the victim, a crime scene was secured, and the Central Homicide Unit responded. The victim has not been identified at this time. This investigation is on-going and no further information will be released at this time.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department encourages anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Central Homicide Investigator Manjarrez at (951) 955-2777, or Lake Elsinore Sheriff Station Investigator Gilbert at (951) 245-3300.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Department

Palm Desert

DUI Injury Traffic Collision

On August 21, 2019, at 12:07 a.m., Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Palm Desert Station responded to a single-vehicle traffic collision in the 70500 block of Dinah Shore Drive, within the city of Rancho Mirage. Deputies determined a silver Honda sedan traveling westbound on Dinah Shore Drive veered off the roadway causing the vehicle to roll over. The driver of the Honda, Jesus Ernesto Ontiveros-Rodriguez, age 28 of Cathedral City, was determined to have been operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. Jesus Ernesto Ontiveros-Rodriguez was transported to a local hospital and was admitted for non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation is still ongoing and anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact, Deputy Christopher Williams from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at 760-836-1600, or Crime Stoppers at 760-341-STOP (7867). Riverside County Sheriff’s Department urges all drivers not to drink and drive.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Department

INDIO

Trial Delayed For Man Accused Of Causing Mobile Home Fires

The trial was delayed on August 21, for a man accused of trying to kill two people by setting fire to homes at a Desert Hot Springs mobile home park in 2016.

Michael Eric McPeters, 45, is charged with two counts of attempted murder, three counts of arson of an inhabited property and one count each of arson of an uninhabited property, arson of a structure or forest land and making criminal threats.

McPeters also faces sentence-enhancing allegations of causing multiple structures to burn and committing arson while the state’s emergency drought regulations were in effect. His trial was scheduled to begin this morning at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, but was delayed at least until Sept. 30. Riverside County District Attorney’s Office spokesman John Hall said prosecutors are ready to proceed, attributing the postponement to the defense attorney’s schedule and other pending trials.

The criminal complaint accuses McPeters of targeting and threatening the lives of a man and a woman, as well as setting fire to several structures late on the afternoon of June 3, 2016, at Palm Drive Mobile Estates at 15687 Palm Drive, causing an estimated $40,000 in damage. Flames spread by strong winds prompted residents living downwind of the fire to evacuate.

More than 30 firefighters were dispatched to the scene, one of whom was evaluated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, Jody Hagemann of the Riverside County Fire Department said at the time. Crews contained the fire a little more than an hour later, but remained on scene for several hours, she said.

McPeters was arrested later that night by Cal Fire investigators and has remained in custody in lieu of $1 million bail ever since. He’s currently being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.

City News Service

 PALM SPRINGS

Man Drowns In Palm Springs Swimming Pool

An 82-year-old Palm Springs man drowned in his backyard swimming pool, police confirmed on August 21st.

Authorities responded to a 911 call made around 4:10 p.m. Tuesday from a home on Marion Way near Joshua Tree Place, according to Palm Springs police Sgt. Mike Casavan.

The Riverside County Coroner’s Bureau was investigating the octogenarian’s death. His name was not immediately released.

City News Service

CABAZON

Quake Rattles Portion of Inland Empire Near Cabazon

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.4 struck near Cabazon, but no damage was reported this morning.

The quake struck at 11:50 p.m. Tuesday about seven miles north northeast of Cabazon and about 14 miles east northeast of Beaumont at a depth of about 10 miles, according to a computer-generated message from the U.S. Geological Survey.

There were no immediate reports of injuries due to the quake.

City News Service

RIVERSIDE

Woman, Boyfriend Admit Killing Baby Found Adjacent to Freeway

An 18-year-old from Corona and his girlfriend who killed their newborn daughter and dumped her remains near Interstate 15 both pleaded guilty on Tuesday, August 20, to murder.

Joshua Tyler Benson and Shawna Joelle Andritch, 23, admitted during a status hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice to taking the life of the infant, known only as “Baby Jane.”  Under the plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, Benson pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, while Andritch confessed to a second-degree murder charge. He’s facing 25 years to life in state prison, and she’s facing 15 years to life when they are sentenced by

Superior Court Judge David Gunn on Oct. 18.

Each is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.

The pair were arrested in December for the killing five months earlier.

Corona police investigators credited tips from the public following Baby Jane’s Dec. 6 burial at Sunnyslope Cemetery with providing the necessary clues to crack the case.

The dead infant was discovered by a landscaper in a cardboard box on the afternoon of July 27, 2018, near Interstate 15 and Cajalco Road. She was wrapped in a men’s T-shirt — which Benson later admitted was his — and had a blanket and stuffed animal with her, prosecutors said, adding that afterbirth was still on the baby’s skin.

Coroner’s officials could never confirm a specific cause of death. However, they did verify that she was not stillborn, surviving birth and killed sometime immediately afterward, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

“Further investigation revealed that the (defendants) had intended to kill the baby from the beginning … succeeding and leaving (her) in the box under the freeway,” according to an agency statement.

The case triggered community outrage, and police turned to the public for assistance identifying the parents, but few clues were forthcoming last summer.

Public safety officials raised funds to pay for Baby Jane Doe’s burial, which generated additional publicity about the case, culminating in the identification of the defendants as the perpetrators.

Andritch has no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions. No information was available concerning Benson, who was a juvenile at the time of the murder.

City News Service

LAKE ELSINORE

Man Whose Body Left in Forest near Lake Elsinore Identified

A man whose body was dumped in the Cleveland National Forest just west of Lake Elsinore was identified on Tuesday, August 20, as a 31-year- old Wildomar resident.

Frery Coronel’s remains were discovered by passers-by shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday along the west side of South Main Divide Road, roughly 3 ½ miles south of the Ortega (74) Highway, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

“Based on trauma to the victim, a crime scene was secured, and the Central Homicide Unit responded,” sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Ramirez said. He did not disclose how Coronel was killed, nor how long the body may have been there before it was found.  No suspects have been identified, and the investigation is ongoing, according to Ramirez.

City News Service

The post Crime Briefs appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.