The state Department of Justice, which investigates fatal shootings by law enforcement of unarmed civilians, is heading up a probe to determine whether the deputies acted lawfully.

The sheriff’s department said Jaque “Queque” Rabon, 23, was a “documented gang member.” But it has not publicly announced what led to the shooting.

On Saturday, several people gathered at the shooting site, a shopping center at one of Riverside’s busiest intersections, Tyler Street and Magnolia Avenue. A bystander led a prayer as the group, including Rabon’s cousin, stood next to a small memorial of candles and flowers.

“He did a lot of bad, but it wasn’t always like that,” the sister, Makyla Brown, said in an interview on a phone supplied by the cousin, Christopher Martinez.

Brown said Rabon had a difficult childhood and had mental health issues.

Rabon was the subject of a guardianship case in 2011, when he would have been about 9 years old. San Bernardino County Superior Court records show that his mother, Tyesha Moody, initially was willing to surrender custody but then objected to another woman’s petition for guardianship. When the matter was called for what turned out to be the final hearing in early 2012, the petitioner didn’t show up, and Rabon’s mother remained his guardian.

Brown said her brother liked to rap, could sing “a little” and loved sports. His mother still kept his trophies.

“Before the streets got a hold of him, he played basketball and football in middle school,” Brown said.

In August of 2025, Rabon was charged with assault with a semi-automatic firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He failed to appear in court on Aug. 21, court records show, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

In a three-paragraph release distributed more than 30 hours after the shooting, officials said deputies were attempting to arrest Rabon on the warrant around 10 a.m. on Thursday when they shot him for unspecified reasons. He died at the scene.

The Sheriff’s Department will conduct an internal investigation to determine whether policies were followed.

Brown said investigators have told the family little about her brother’s final moments. She said he had a fanny pack containing money and identification.

“No gun, no knives, no scissors, no tweezers,” Brown said.

Martinez said he appreciated the stranger’s prayer at the memorial on Saturday.

“I think it’s great that the community had the decency and respect,” Martinez said.

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The operation began Sunday when law enforcement personnel from Riverside and San Diego counties received notification of a body found near the 17000 block of Calle Delina, near Tenaja Road, along the Riverside County/San Diego County border, according to Chuck Westerheide, San Diego County Public Safety Group communications officer.

Fallbrook Sheriff’s Substation deputies led the investigation, working in tandem with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the Murrieta Police Department, to find the exact location of the body, according to Westerheide.

Monday night, the remains were recovered by a San Diego County sheriff’s ASTREA helicopter. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the Murrieta Police Department also assisted in the recovery.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating the cause, manner and date/time of death of the victim, whose identity was not released.

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