In a video statement, Newsom said he was “proud” to be counted among Trump’s political opponents and alleged that the U.S. Department of Justice is searching for wrongdoing rather than investigating an established crime. He said federal agents recently contacted family friends and former employees of him and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

Newsom tied the scrutiny to his possible interest in a future presidential campaign, saying the Trump administration is using federal law enforcement against perceived rivals.

According to the governor’s office, neither Newsom nor Siebel Newsom has received a subpoena. But the office said it believes federal agents have issued subpoenas seeking financial records from businesses connected to the Newsom family. Newsom accused investigators of misusing the grand jury process by seeking years of documents.

Newsom founded the hospitality company PlumpJack before entering statewide office and placed his business holdings in a blind trust when he became governor. Siebel Newsom runs two nonprofit organizations, the California Partners Project and the Representation Project.

A person in the U.S. Department of Justice familiar with the matter told CalMatters that at least two criminal investigations involving Newsom have been underway. One concerns Siebel Newsom’s taxes, while the other is connected to Dana Williamson, Newsom’s former chief of staff.

Williamson pleaded guilty in May in a corruption case. The governor has not been implicated in that scandal.

The governor’s remarks come as Newsom continues to position himself as one of Trump’s most forceful Democratic critics, a role that has raised his national profile beyond California. The dispute also places renewed attention on the governor’s family businesses and nonprofit work as federal investigators seek records tied to those entities.

Newsom’s office framed the investigation as part of a broader pattern of retaliation by Trump against political adversaries. The Justice Department has not publicly detailed the scope of the inquiries or announced charges against the governor or first partner.

Original source: CalMatters

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In a video statement, Newsom said federal agents have recently contacted family friends and former employees as part of what he characterized as an open-ended search for wrongdoing.

“In recent days, federal agents have knocked on the doors of family friends and former employees,” Newsom said. “Not because they found a crime, but because they simply are trying to find one.”

Newsom said he believes he has been placed on what he called Trump’s political “hit list,” alongside figures such as former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff of California and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the former Democratic vice presidential nominee.

A person in the Department of Justice familiar with the matter said at least two criminal investigations involving Newsom have been underway for about a year in the Eastern District of California. According to that person, the inquiries stemmed from whistleblowers and people in Sacramento and involve questions related to Siebel Newsom’s taxes, as well as a separate investigation connected to Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson.

Williamson pleaded guilty in May in a corruption case that has not implicated the governor. She had been indicted on wire fraud charges tied to allegations that money was routed from a dormant campaign account belonging to Xavier Becerra, the former Biden administration health secretary and a leading candidate to succeed Newsom as governor.

Newsom’s office pushed back sharply on the federal activity, saying prosecutors turned their attention to the governor and his family after failing to find evidence tying him to the Williamson case. The governor’s office said investigators have asked about private matters involving the Newsom family, including the couple’s marriage.

The governor alleged that federal agents are seeking records and misusing the grand jury process by combing through years of documents. Newsom’s office said neither he nor Siebel Newsom has received a subpoena, though the office said the governor “looks forward” to receiving any such request.

Officials in Newsom’s office also told reporters that the specificity of some investigators’ questions has led them to believe federal agents may have subpoenaed financial records for businesses tied to the Newsoms.

Before becoming governor, Newsom built the PlumpJack hospitality business, which he has placed in a blind trust. Siebel Newsom is a filmmaker and leads the California Partners Project and the Representation Project, nonprofit organizations focused on gender equity and representation.

Disclosure reports filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission show Newsom solicited at least $1.9 million in charitable donations, known as behested payments, in 2024 and 2025 for the California Partners Project. The donations included $1 million from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.

Newsom’s office said federal agents have contacted more than a dozen people and organizations connected to the couple, including friends, former employees, business associates, donors and affiliated groups. The office did not identify those contacted.

The governor’s accusations were made in a strongly worded video but did not include direct evidence that Trump personally ordered or directed the federal inquiries. Newsom’s office maintains that the Justice Department is seeking a new allegation after the Williamson investigation, which began during the Biden administration, did not implicate the governor.

Matthew Rowan, an attorney for Williamson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

The White House referred questions about Newsom’s remarks to the Justice Department. A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“You can subpoena my records. You can investigate me. You can harass me. Put my name on any and every enemies list that you have,” Newsom said. “But leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta!”

Original source: CalMatters

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    The report, obtained through the city’s public records system, details allegations against former senior code enforcement officers Mark Ilagan and Mark Hernandez. Investigators found evidence suggesting the pair may have engaged in improper conduct ranging from unauthorized property seizures and unlawful entry onto private property to confrontational encounters with vendors and residents.

    According to the investigation, much of the alleged misconduct appeared to be directed toward individuals who were Latino or Asian, did not primarily speak English, or may have lacked legal immigration status. The report noted that such individuals are often less likely to report mistreatment due to fears of retaliation or concerns about interacting with government agencies.

    Investigators also criticized city supervisors for failing to adequately address complaints raised by a subordinate who repeatedly questioned the officers’ actions. The employee later alleged she experienced retaliation after bringing concerns forward through official channels.

    The report concluded that the conduct of the officers and their supervisors exposed Riverside to significant legal liability while undermining public trust in city government.

    None of the individuals named in the investigation remain employed by the City of Riverside. Hernandez could not be reached for comment. Ilagan, who now works for the City of Chino, denied the allegations. Former Community and Economic Development Director Jennifer Lilley told the Los Angeles Times that portions of the report lacked context and contained inaccuracies.

    Several current and former employees described Ilagan and Hernandez as working closely together and often responding to calls as a team. Witnesses told investigators the pair frequently adopted tactics that blurred the line between code enforcement and law enforcement.

    Unlike police officers, code enforcement personnel do not have arrest powers, cannot carry firearms, and generally have limited authority to seize property. However, investigators found evidence that the two officers routinely pursued street vendors on foot, blocked vehicles from leaving, and confiscated merchandise and equipment beyond what regulations permitted.

    The report describes what investigators called a long-running pattern of unauthorized property seizures. Vendors allegedly had merchandise taken without receiving receipts, making it nearly impossible to recover their belongings. Several employees stated that confiscated items were stored in City Hall offices and included products commonly sold by vendors such as flowers, toys, hats, and novelty items.

    Investigators also documented multiple incidents involving physical confrontations. During Riverside’s Festival of Lights celebration in 2023, officers reportedly attempted to seize a vendor’s cart while the owners were briefly away making a sale. When the couple returned, a confrontation followed that drew a crowd and eventually required police intervention.

    In another incident during Fourth of July enforcement operations in 2024, a dispute involving a taco vendor escalated into a physical struggle. Witnesses alleged one officer used a wrist-lock technique during the confrontation before police arrived at the scene.

    The report further alleges that the officers sometimes entered or facilitated entry into properties under questionable circumstances. In one case, officers reportedly requested police assistance to force entry into a residence believed to be occupied despite ongoing probate and eviction proceedings. Another incident involved allegations that officers misrepresented the status of properties to law enforcement in order to have residents removed.

    Investigators concluded that the officers repeatedly sought to project the image and authority of sworn police officers. The report notes they favored tactical-style gear, advocated for police-style identification, and pushed for equipment that would make code enforcement officers appear more like law enforcement personnel.

    Some city employees expressed concern that such efforts increased risks for both officers and the public. The investigator warned that encouraging code enforcement staff to appear police-like could create confusion and expose the city to significant liability.

    The investigation also examined workplace culture within the department. Several findings pointed to a hostile work environment, including allegations of inappropriate behavior, retaliation against employees who raised concerns, and failures by supervisors to properly investigate complaints.

    A former code enforcement officer who reported the alleged misconduct told investigators she repeatedly warned management about what she believed were unlawful actions involving vendors and residents. According to the report, her concerns were largely dismissed, and after escalating her complaints, she was later identified as the source and publicly escorted from City Hall shortly before leaving her position.

    The investigator concluded that the city’s response to the complaints sent a troubling message to other employees and may have discouraged future reporting of misconduct.

    The report was submitted to city officials in August 2025. It remains unclear what actions, if any, were taken afterward. City leaders declined to discuss personnel matters when contacted by the Los Angeles Times.

    The Los Angeles Times first reported on the investigative findings after obtaining the report through Riverside’s public records portal.

Credit: Original reporting and source material from the Los Angeles Times.

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    The operation, known as “Operation Volcano,” was carried out between March 2025 and March 2026 through a coordinated effort involving multiple law enforcement agencies throughout the county. Investigators focused on identifying high-risk offenders and disrupting online exploitation networks operating within the region.

    Authorities said more than 500 unique Internet Protocol addresses were linked to the suspected distribution of child pornography during the investigation. Each case was reviewed using what officials described as a structured screening process designed to prioritize suspects considered most dangerous. That included individuals with prior sex crime convictions, people already under criminal justice supervision, and those employed in positions involving children or public trust.

    During the operation, investigators served 46 search warrants at homes throughout Riverside County. Those searches ultimately resulted in 42 arrests involving residents from communities including Banning, Beaumont, Bermuda Dunes, Corona, Eastvale, Hemet, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Palm Springs, Perris, Riverside, San Jacinto, Temecula and Winchester.

    According to the District Attorney’s Office, 14 of the individuals arrested were considered high-risk offenders. Officials said those suspects included a person wanted on a $2 million warrant related to child sexual assault, along with professionals working in a variety of fields, including healthcare, government, technology and education-related services.

    Among those identified by prosecutors were a child psychologist, a naturopathic doctor, a retired law enforcement employee, a California prison information technology worker, a local government planning director, a Southern California hospital chief technology officer, a notary public, a United States Postal Service employee, two corporate vice presidents and three registered sex offenders.

    Authorities released the names and cities of residence for many of the suspects arrested during the operation. Arrest dates and custody status for several individuals were not immediately available.

    The individuals identified by the District Attorney’s Office include: Feliciano Chavarria, 62, Lake Elsinore; Enrique Castaneda, 51, Riverside; Eric Thai, 43, Menifee; James Munson, 32, San Jacinto; William Zahn, 48, Riverside; John Carrico, 52, Murrieta; Jason Lee, 51, Banning; Brian Erwin, 46, Beaumont; Daniel Malcolm, 46, Bermuda Dunes; Randolph Velasco, 44, Lake Elsinore; Marcus Guevara, 21, Winchester; Christopher Gibbons, 39, Moreno Valley; Allen Cox, 81, Menifee; David Poggi, 59, Menifee; Zixiang Cheng, 32, Murrieta; Ray Kubal, 75, Menifee; Ethan Conely, 29, Menifee; Jessie Bonales, 40, Temecula; Nicholas Williams, 39, Norco; Daniel Cunningham, 43, Corona; Adam Robinson, 38, Riverside; Kenneth Camron, 68, Menifee; Neftali Jimenez, 21, Riverside; Robert Schaar, 53, Temecula; Victor Sepulveda, 60, Moreno Valley; Stuart Triplett, 61, Temecula; Jame Davis, 60, Lake Elsinore; Xinyi Su, 22, Mira Loma; Mark Tyler, 66, Perris; Rickson Jao, 62, Eastvale; Stacey Parker, 62, Moreno Valley; Chas Rico, 30, Murrieta; Jonathan Jordan, 27, Moreno Valley; Jeremiah Davis, 21, Hemet; Dustin Jenks, 56, Palm Springs; Richard Mckeehan Jr., 48, Moreno Valley; Anthony Ramirez, 39, Nuevo; and Daniel Chico, 21, Riverside.

    All suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

    The Riverside County announcement comes just days after San Bernardino County authorities announced the conclusion of a similar operation. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said “Operation Firewall,” a two-week internet crimes enforcement effort, resulted in 101 arrests.

    San Bernardino County officials said charges in that operation included possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, arranging meetings with minors for sexual purposes, sending explicit images to minors, lewd acts involving minors and violations tied to sex offender registration requirements.

    Investigators in San Bernardino County also reported that 16 children were removed from situations involving alleged abuse or exploitation during the operation.

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According to the Riverside Police Department, a teenage girl was in the area of Market and Sixth streets, near the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, when an unknown man physically assaulted her, possibly inflicting injuries, shortly after 3 a.m. on April 25.

The circumstances were unclear.

Witnesses who were not acquainted with either party called 911, but when patrol officers reached the location, “They learned the parties involved had left the area prior to police contact, and no identifying information was provided,” police Lt. Steve Espinosa said.

“Officers obtained surveillance footage from a nearby business and gathered witness statements,” Espinosa said. “The suspect was identified as an adult male seen in the area at the time of the incident.”

Still-frame video images circulated by investigators did not clearly depict the individual, showing him only as a light-skinned Hispanic or Caucasian man with facial hair and partially bald. His dark-colored tank-top shirt appeared to have been torn open in the picture.

Detectives want to interview the victim, but her identity, too, is a mystery, according to Espinosa.

Her friends and family, or anyone who may have been in the downtown area during the predawn hours of April 25 and who spotted anything unusual in the vicinity of where the attack occurred, was asked to come forward.

Espinosa can be reached at 951-826-5959. Alternately, police dispatch is available at 951-354-2007.

The post Police Searching For Victim, Assailant In RivCo Attack appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Brian Waterman was arrested early evening on Thursday by the Jurupa Valley Police Department and was being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center, the sheriff’s office said.

On Friday, Waterman began experiencing a medical emergency inside the holding cell he was in at the jail, and custody staff and jail medical personnel administered aid, the agency said.

A day later, on April 25, his condition continued to decline, and he was pronounced dead at a hospital, the sheriff’s office said.

The agency did not say what medical emergency he experienced or what led to his arrest. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Corrections Central Investigation Bureau and the county coroner are investigating, but the sheriff’s office said there were no signs of foul play.

Sgt. Robert Martinez, a public information officer with the sheriff’s office, declined to provide additional information about Waterman’s death or why he was in custody.

It marks the department’s second in-custody death this month. On April 3, the sheriff’s office announced the in-custody death of a Las Vegas resident, Maurice Landon Williamson, 35, who was transferred to a hospital for an existing diagnosed illness. Williamson was being treated and placed on supportive care, but he ultimately died, the agency said.

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Even under normal circumstances, the California bar exam is one final harrowing hurdle before aspiring lawyers can practice. But last week was worse than any other, as they were thrown into limbo by technical glitches, delays and what many said were bizarrely written questions on a revamped test that didn’t match anything in preparation.

The faulty rollout last week of the new licensing test, which was approved by the California Supreme Court in October and was touted by the state bar as a way to save money, has outraged test takers and the law school community at large, and prompted an investigation by California lawmakers and a lawsuit.

“You can talk to any attorney — because they have all been through the bar experience — and they will tell you how hard it is and how stressful it is to go through the bar exam,” said Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. “To have to then take it again because of the incompetence of the bar is inexcusable,” said Mr. Chemerinsky, who had raised concerns along with other law school deans about the new exam before it was approved.

The botched exam, which is administered digitally, has left test takers in a bind that puts their career aspirations and personal finances in jeopardy. Many took weeks off work and missed time with family — and have job offers contingent on passing the February exam.

“I just kind of feel ripped off,” said Zack Defazio-Farrell, who took the exam last week. He added: “You spend a lot of money preparing. You spend a lot of time not making money. And this happens.”

Test takers reported a range of technological problems over the course of the two-day exam, which on Day 1 included five one-hour essay sessions and a 90-minute section that assesses the ability to carry out legal tasks, and on Day 2 involved 200 multiple choice questions over the course of four 90-minute sessions.

Test takers said they had encountered delays of over an hour to gain access to the exam, and some said they could not access the test at all. Others reported chronic freezing and lags, and an unresponsive copy and paste function.

Some also said the questions were bizarrely written, were missing key facts, contained typos or simply did not make sense. And according to the state bar, there were reports that on-site proctors often did not have answers to basic questions.

The technology and proctoring of the exam was provided by the company Meazure Learning, which provided the ability to take the exam remotely, a change from previous years. The company now faces a class-action lawsuit by test takers.

Meazure Learning could not be reached for comment. On its website, the company says it has more than 30 years of experience successfully launching licensing programs. “We excel at developing fair, reliable and secure exams that you can trust,” it says.

The state bar, which said in August that the new test would save the organization up to $3.8 million annually, said that it was examining whether the company’s performance had failed to meet its contractual obligations and that a full accounting of how many people had experienced issues was still underway on Saturday.

Tom Umberg, a state senator who chairs the body’s judiciary committee, which is tasked in part with funding the state bar, said there would be an inquiry. “We are going to be doing a deep dive as to what happened and how to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” he said.

The new exam was written by Kaplan North America, a test preparation company. It replaced questions by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, which writes the exams in a majority of states.

The state bar’s response has focused on the issues involving Meazure Learning. The bar said that the questions developed by Kaplan had undergone the same review processes as previous exam questions. Efforts to reach Kaplan were unsuccessful.

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For generations, California’s bar exam was widely considered the nation’s hardest. Even elite law students often had to take it more than once to clear the high threshold for passage. Former governors Jerry Brown and Pete Wilson and former Vice President Kamala Harris are among the many famous lawmakers who failed the California bar on their first try. The threshold for passing was lowered slightly several years ago, but the test still remains exceptionally rigorous relative to exams in the rest of the United States.

Some have said the bar was aware of glitches months in advance, after an experimental exam in November contained technical issues for some. But the bar said those problems were isolated.

The state bar appeared to anticipate issues with the new exam before the rollout ahead of last week. Before the test, it offered people who withdrew from or failed the February exam a fee waiver for the next test date. Exams are administered twice a year, in February and July.

“This new exam has not rolled out the way it should have, and we, the board, apologize along with state bar leadership and staff,” the bar’s board of trustees said in a statement on Feb 21. “The continued issues with testing locations, scheduling, technical issues and communication lapses have distracted applicants from their studies and created confusion.”

Of the 5,600 people who registered for the February exam, 1,066 withdrew, the state bar said.

On Friday, the state bar said it was looking into remedies for those who took the exam and experienced technical difficulties, including conducting analyses to adjust scores. Mr. Chemerinsky has called on the bar to offer provisional licenses to test takers and revert to the old exam in the future.

For some of those who were not able to complete the exam, the bar offered a chance to retake the test this week. But that opportunity has been delayed to later this month after some test takers allegedly leaked the questions online.

But for those who don’t get a chance to retake the test this month, it means waiting until July — which provides little comfort.

Some said that may be too late to avoid devastating financial situations dependent on becoming licensed by May, when February test results are released.

“If I have to take it in July, I probably will not be living in California anymore,” said Alexandra Sennet, who said she was hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt from law school. She added that she has a job offer that is contingent on her becoming licensed in May.

Ms. Sennet said she was also in debt paying for bills associated with a spinal injury she sustained after a car accident. That injury forced her to miss last July’s bar exam and has limited her ability to work a regular job.

“I’m banking on this to pay my bills, literally,” she said, adding, “This is my livelihood.”

Mr. Defazio-Farrell said he was unsure how he was going to pay off his student loans without a lawyer’s salary.

“I’m not employed at the moment, and getting back into it is going to be difficult without a license,” he said.

For others, the thought of committing yet more time for the test presents more than financial anxiety. Becky Hoffman, 38, said she decided to pursue becoming a lawyer in part to give her three young children a better life, and sacrificed spending time with them over the past three and half years during law school.

She wrote over 45 essays and took over 1,600 multiple choice questions to prepare in the weeks leading up to the exam.

After the second day of testing ran late on Wednesday because of glitches, Ms. Hoffman stepped outside the testing site where her wife and children were waiting to take her home.

“I tried my hardest to just be brave and tell them that it’s over, and mommy is done, and I’m so happy to be able to spend more time with you,” she said. “And I don’t know if that’s true or not.”

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A dead German shepherd was found between 10 and 15 feet away from Ms. Arakawa in a closet of the bathroom, the affidavit said. There were no obvious signs of a gas leak in the home, it said, and the Fire Department did not find signs of a carbon monoxide leak.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Thursday afternoon that “there were no apparent signs of foul play.”

Autopsies on Mr. Hackman and Ms. Arakawa were performed on Thursday, the sheriff’s office said. There was no initial sign of external trauma to either of them. Carbon monoxide tests and toxicology tests were requested for both of them, it said, but the results were still pending and the causes of their deaths had not been determined.

“This remains an open investigation,” the sheriff’s office said.

Detective Roy Arndt wrote in the search warrant affidavit that Ms. Arakawa was found lying on her side on the bathroom floor with a space heater near her head, the affidavit said. The deputy who found her said he suspected that the heater could have fallen with Ms. Arakawa, the filing said.

Ms. Arakawa’s body showed signs of decomposition, the affidavit said. The dead dog was found near her in a closet, and two other dogs were found alive on the property.

The deputies were called to the scene after a maintenance worker who had gone to the home to perform some work on Wednesday afternoon grew concerned when no one answered the door, the sheriff’s office said in a statement. The worker asked local security officers to conduct a welfare check, and when they arrived and saw unresponsive bodies through the window they called 911.

A pair of deputies arrived and found Ms. Arakawa in the bathroom and then discovered Mr. Hackman lying in the mud room, with his body in a similar condition to his wife’s, the affidavit said. He was found in gray sweatpants, a blue long-sleeve T-shirt, brown slippers and with a cane, the affidavit said. A pair of sunglasses was found to his left. One of the deputies on the scene said that it appeared he had “suddenly fallen,” the affidavit said.

Sheriff Adan Mendoza of Santa Fe County said in a phone interview that investigators were still trying to determine what caused their deaths, noting that there were no obvious signs of trauma to the bodies and that no note had been found. The sheriff said the home was continuing to be searched on Thursday.

“At this stage in the process there isn’t anything obvious like that,” he said. “The autopsy is going to tell us more.”

Mr. Hackman was nominated for five Academy Awards and won two during his 40-year career. He appeared in films that were seen by millions, including “Bonnie and Clyde,” “The French Connection,” “The Poseidon Adventure,” “Mississippi Burning,” “Unforgiven,” “Superman,” “Hoosiers” and “The Royal Tenenbaums.”

In the affidavit seeking the search warrant, Detective Arndt wrote Wednesday that he believed that “the circumstances surrounding the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”

A magistrate judge granted the search warrant so that the authorities could collect items from the home, including documents, any narcotics found, and flammable substances, among other things.

The couple was found in their home in a secluded neighborhood high above downtown Santa Fe, with winding roads and views of the mountains.

Mr. Hackman moved to Santa Fe County in the 1980s after filming some movies there. After he quietly retired from Hollywood more than two decades ago, he wrote several historical adventure novels with a friend, Daniel Lenihan. He was seen from time to time in downtown Santa Fe.

An enthusiastic painter who would use the surrounding mountains as inspiration, Mr. Hackman was once a board member at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, one of Santa Fe’s main cultural attractions. He spoke at the museum’s opening in 1997 and later narrated a short documentary about the artist.

Many of his paintings, including landscapes and portraits, are hanging in Jinja, an Asian fusion restaurant in Santa Fe that the couple had invested in, said Doug Lanham, the restaurant’s owner.

Mr. Lanham, a friend of Mr. Hackman’s, recalled him as a known prankster. He said Mr. Hackman had once convinced a child at a local country club event to give him a squirt gun — and then filled it with red wine.

“He loved Santa Fe because people treated him like just part of the community,” Mr. Lanham said.

In recent years, Mr. Hackman had withdrawn more as he aged, but remained devoted to his wife and dogs, Mr. Lanham said.

Barbara Lenihan, Mr. Lenihan’s wife and a friend of the couple who has known them for more than 30 years, said she last spoke with Ms. Arakawa, who is a partner in her local home décor business, in January. Mr. Hackman seemed to be growing frailer, she said, but he was still painting and drawing.

“They always were somewhat reclusive even though everyone loved to be around them,” she said.

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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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RIVERSIDE, CA — A pastor is accused of sexually abusing two young boys in Riverside over several years, and detectives believe there may be others who have yet to come forward, according to police.

Investigators identified the suspect Thursday as Juan Barrios, 51, of Riverside, who worked as a pastor at Iglesia de Dios Israelita in Fullerton.

Police said a young man contacted authorities in May to report a pattern of sexual abuse that began when he was 9 and lasted into his mid-teens. His younger brother came forward with similar claims, alleging the crimes took place between 2009 and 2015 while their family lived at Barrios’ Riverside home, according to police.

The allegations led to an investigation by Riverside’s Sexual Assault – Child Abuse (SACA) unit, and detectives arrested Barrios on Sept. 8. Investigators said he was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of multiple sex crimes and released on $500,000 bail.

Citing the nature of the allegations, detectives said they believed more victims could be involved and encouraged anyone with information related to Barrios to contact police at 951-353-7949 or 951-353-7133.

According to jail records, his next court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 21.

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