Brian Jerome Patton, 38, of Hemet was arrested in December following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the death of Denise Maria Christina.

Patton is charged with murder, animal cruelty and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

During a status hearing at the Banning Justice Center Monday, the prosecution and defense agreed to expediting the defendant’s preliminary hearing, prompting Superior Court Judge Jay Kiel to set it for Wednesday. The proceeding will determine whether there’s sufficient evidence to bound Patton over for trial on any or all counts.

He’s being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility.

According to sheriff’s officials, Christina died shortly before 5 p.m. on Dec. 11 at a house in the 25000 block of Minorca Street, near Palm Avenue, just south of the Soboba Indian Reservation.

Sgt. Rafael Victorio said patrol deputies were called to the location to investigate “a suspicious circumstance” and found the victim deceased.

Central Homicide Unit detectives took over the investigation, procuring sufficient evidence for an arrest warrant and taking Patton into custody without incident the following morning.

A possible motive for the alleged attack was not disclosed. It was unclear whether or how long the defendant and victim may have been acquainted, and there was no explanation in documents regarding the animal cruelty allegation.

Court records show Patton has prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and carrying a concealed weapon.

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Investigators don’t yet know what the suspect, Richard Thomas Martinez, 48, and the victim, 31-year-old Bradley Minder, argued about, police said.

Minder’s family last heard from him over the weekend and called Riverside police on Tuesday night, Oct. 15, said Officer Ryan Railsback, a police spokesman. Around 7:45 p.m. that night, officers went to the 8700 block of Sylvan Drive in the Arlanza neighborhood where Minder lived.

Railsback said he believes at least three people lived there.

Officers learned that the suspect allegedly said to at least one other person he killed a roommate, police said. Officers then detained him.

There was freshly disturbed dirt in the backyard, Railsback said, so detectives, forensic specialists and Riverside County sheriff’s cadaver dogs were called in.

The dogs alerted them about the disturbed dirt, and detectives dug and saw part of a body, Railsback said. The Riverside Sheriff-Coroner’s Office recovered the body.

“We don’t believe the victim was shot or stabbed,” Railsback said.

Martinez was arrested on suspicion of murder early Wednesday morning. As of Friday morning, he was being held without the possibility of bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center.

On Friday, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office charged Martinez with murder. They also alleged that Martinez personally used deadly and dangerous weapons, in this case a hammer, a shovel and a knife, while committing the crime, according to the criminal complaint.

Police asked anyone with information about the case to contact Detective Ricky Barajas at 951-353-7213 or at EBarajas@RiversideCA.gov.

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David Montero, 40, of San Jacinto, was found at a local park in the 500 block of East Main Street after deputies received reports of an assault. Upon arrival around 10 p.m., deputies found Montero suffering from traumatic injuries, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.

He was taken to a local hospital, where he remained hospitalized until Wednesday when he was pronounced dead, officials said.

The sheriff’s department is investigating the incident as a homicide. Due to the investigation, no other information was made available.

As authorities work to find the suspect or suspects, the public is urged to contact the sheriff’s department with any information they may have on the case. Central Homicide Master Investigator R. Deanne can be reached at 951-235–7382 and Investigator J. Newby can be reached at 951-347–0679.

Anonymous tips can be submitted online here.

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The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said Rico was last seen on Aug. 21, 2022, in the Hemet area.

Hemet Sheriff’s Station investigators determined Rico’s disappearance to be suspicious and requested the county’s Central Homicide Unit to assume the search.

To date, Rico remains missing and the unit is seeking the public’s assistance with the unknown circumstances of her case.

The sheriff’s office encourages anyone with information that may assist investigators in finding Rico and/or information related to her disappearance to contact Investigator D. Brown at 951–955–2195 or by email: dlbrown@riversidesheriff.org.

You can also send information through the Sheriff’s Office Online Tip Line.

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According to the Riverside Police Department, 50-year-old Luis Contreras was arrested by Mexican authorities in Mexicali on July 8, and has since been extradited back to Riverside County to face charges.

Contreras, who was 32 at the time, is the primary suspect in the June 14, 2005, killing of 38-year-old Alfonso Vera. Vera was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds inside a home on the 4700 block of Doane Avenue in Riverside.

Witnesses heard the shots and saw people running and two vehicles leaving the scene, police said. Those witnesses were able to provide a license plate number of one of the vehicles.

Investigators later determined that a man was involved in an argument with his girlfriend and became physically violent with her. Vera came to the woman’s aid and intervened and was shot multiple times by another person.

Three suspects were believed involved in the case, two of which were apprehended weeks after Vera’s killing. But the gunman, who police said was Contreras, was never located, and it was believed that he fled to Mexico to avoid arrest.

In June 2024, nearly two decades since the deadly shooting, detectives reopened the cold case and renewed the search for Contreras.

Within weeks, he was located and arrested by Mexican authorities in coordination with the U.S. Marshals Service. He’s since been brought back to the U.S. and was booked into the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center near Murrieta.

Now 50 years old, Contreras is awaiting trial on second-degree murder charges and is currently being held on $1 million bail, according to jail records.

He’s expected to appear in court on Aug. 2.

Of the two other men believed to be involved in the killing of Alfonso Vera, one served a three-year prison sentence for being an accessory to murder and the other was not charged due to a lack of evidence, police said.

Anyone with information about this investigation is urged to contact the Riverside Police Department’s Homicide Cold Case Unit by email or by calling 951-320-8000.

Earlier this month, a man suspected in an Orange County homicide that happened 18 years ago was arrested in Mexico and extradited back to the U.S. to face charges.

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File # JV232700048

Update:

During the course of this investigation, a suspect was identified as Justin Vanderford, 41 years of Jurupa Valley. On January 4, 2024, Vanderford was detained by deputies from the Jurupa Valley Special Enforcement Team, near the intersection of Lakeview Street and Pedley Road Vanderford was arrested for murder, and booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center.

The investigation is currently on-going and no further information will be released at this time. If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Investigator Miller at the Jurupa Valley Station at 951-955-2600 or Investigator Anderson with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777.

Update:

The victim in this case was identified as Oscar Aguilar, 52 years of Riverside. The investigation is currently on-going and no further information will be released at this time. If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Investigator Miller at the Jurupa Valley Station at 951-955-2600 or Investigator Anderson with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777.

Details:

On September 27, 2023, at about 10:52 a.m., deputies assigned to the Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to a report of a deceased male in the Santa Ana Riverbed south of Van Buren Boulevard and Clay Street, in Jurupa Valley. Upon arrival, deputies were directed to a male victim with gunshot wounds. The male was pronounced deceased at the scene. The area was secured as a crime scene and station investigators responded to begin the investigation. The Central Homicide Unit responded and assumed the investigation.

The identity of the victim will not be released, pending next of kin notification. The investigation is currently on-going and no further information will be released at this time. If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Investigator Miller at the Jurupa Valley Station at 951–955–2600 or Investigator Anderson with the Central Homicide Unit at 951–955–2777.

Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s Homicide Tipline online form.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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File# O233050020

Update:

The victim in this case was identified as Johnny Sanchez, 32 years of Desert Hot Springs.

Details:

On November 1, 2023, at about 12:47 p.m., deputies from the Palm Desert Sheriff Station were dispatched to a report of a deceased male at a property in the 15700 block of Country View Road, Whitewater. Upon arrival, deputies searched a large parcel of land and found a deceased male outside near a parked vehicle. The scene was secured, and an investigation began. The Central Homicide Unit responded and assumed the investigation. The investigation revealed the victim was shot at the property. The identity of the victim will not be released, pending next of kin notification.

During the course of the investigation, two suspects were identified as Daniel Pacheco, a 40-year-old resident of Whitewater, and Juan Reyes, a 48-year-old resident of Palm Springs. Pacheco, initially detained at the property on Country View Road, was arrested on November 2, 2023.

On November 2, 2023, around 2:00 p.m., members of the Coachella Valley Violent Crimes Gang Task Force and the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit located and arrested Juan Reyes in the 3500 block of East Palm Canyon Road, Palm Springs. Both Pacheco and Reyes were booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center, Indio, for murder.

This investigation is currently ongoing, and no further information will be released at this time. If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Investigator Brown at the Palm Desert Sheriff Station at 760-836-1600 or Investigator Munoz with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777.

Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s Homicide Tipline online form.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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File# O231360006

Update 10-30-23

During the course of this investigation, a fourth suspect was identified and arrested. On October 27, 2023, the Major Crimes Unit served a search warrant in the 74200 block of Erin Street, Palm Desert. During the search warrant service, Conner Turley, an 18-year-old resident of Palm Desert, was arrested for murder. Turley was booked at the Juvenile Hall in Indio, due to his age at the time of the murder.

If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Master Investigator J. Manjarrez of the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777 or Investigator Lugo of the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station at 760-836-1600.

Update:

Investigators have identified and arrested a third suspect in connection with the homicide investigation of Jeremy M. Abshear. The third suspect is identified as Aisa K. Bailey, 19-year-old, male, resident of Palm Desert. If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Master Investigator J. Manjarrez of the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777 or Investigator Lugo of the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station at 760-836-1600. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s Homicide Tipline online form.

Update:

The victim in this homicide investigation has been identified as Jeremy M. Abshear, 48-year-old resident of North Palm Springs. Investigators have identified and arrested two suspects in connection with this homicide investigation. The two arrested are identified as Cody Barneck, 33-year-old, and Mark Barneck, 66-year-old, both residents of North Palm Springs.

If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Master Investigator J. Manjarrez of the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777 or Investigator Lugo of the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station at 760-836-1600.

Details:

On May, 16, 2023, at 5:04 a.m., deputies assigned to the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to a shooting that occurred on the 64000 block of 16th Avenue, in North Palm Springs. Upon arriving, deputies located an adult male victim suffering from gunshot wounds. Deputies administered first aid and summoned for medical aid. Paramedics arrived and despite their efforts the victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. A crime scene was secured and the Central Homicide Unit responded to assume the investigation. The victim’s identity is being withheld pending notification to next of kin. The investigation continues.

If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Master Investigator J. Manjarrez of the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777 or Investigator Lugo of the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station at 760-836-1600.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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

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File # SW232940028

UPDATE:

During the course of this investigation, the suspect was identified as David Douglas, 44 years of Lake Elsinore. At about 2:40 p.m., members of the Major Crimes Unit and uniformed patrol deputies located and detained Douglas at a business on Florida Avenue and Buena Vista Street, Hemet. Douglas was arrested for murder and attempted murder, and booked at the Cois Byrd Detention Facility.

The investigation is currently on-going and no further information will be released at this time. If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Investigator Roberge at the Southwest Station Investigation Bureau at 951-696-3000 or Investigator Castaneda with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777.

Details:

On October 21, 2023, about 5:00 p.m., deputies assigned to the Sheriff’s Southwest Station were dispatched to a report of a deceased female at a residence in the 42200 block of Alexander Drive, Sage. Upon arrival, deputies located a deceased female inside the residence with traumatic injuries. The scene was secured, and the Central Homicide Unit responded and assumed the investigation.

The victim was identified as Autumn Wilkins, 28-year-old resident of Sage. The investigation is currently on-going and no further information will be released at this time. If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Investigator Roberge at the Southwest Station Investigation Bureau at 951-696-3000 or Investigator Castaneda with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777.

Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s Homicide Tipline online form.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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

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File # MV232780016

Details:

On October 5, 2023, at 1:15 a.m., deputies from the Sheriff’s Moreno Valley Station responded to the report of an assault with a deadly weapon in the 22900 block of Chambray Drive Moreno Valley. Deputies arrived and located a male victim with multiple sharp force injuries. Paramedics arrived, but the male victim succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Deputies detained a male suspect at the residence. Deputies secured the area as a crime scene, and investigators from Sheriff’s Moreno Valley Station responded. The Central Homicide Unit also responded and assumed the investigation.

The victim was identified as Adam Collier, a 41-year-old resident of Moreno Valley. The suspect, Demetrius Windom, a 41-year-old resident of Moreno Valley, was arrested for murder and booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center. Both the victim and suspect lived at the residence where the incident occurred.

This investigation is currently ongoing, and no further information will be released at this time.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to call Investigator Brian Cline with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777 or Investigator Jomar Vanderhoof at the Moreno Valley Sheriff Station at 951-486-6700.Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s Homicide Tipline online form.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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

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