Cesar Aguirre, 32, of Perris, was arrested last month following a Riverside Police Department investigation into the deaths of 54-year-old Richard Hinds and 57-year-old Corrina Segovia.

Along with the murder counts, Aguirre is charged with special circumstance allegations of targeting multiple people in a deadly crime and lying in wait, as well as sentence-enhancing allegations of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

The defendant was arraigned Thursday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jay Kiel, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Aug. 18 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Aguirre is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center.

According to Riverside police Detective Steven Espinosa, sometime after midnight on March 11, Aguirre boarded an RTA bus near his Perris home and rode it into Riverside, where he began walking downtown streets.

Shortly after 2 a.m., he encountered Hinds in the area of 12th and Main streets. Espinosa alleged the defendant pulled a knife and stabbed the victim several times, then walked away, leaving the homeless man bleeding to death.

Moments later, at the intersection of 12th and Orange streets, Aguirre attacked Segovia, inflicting mortal knife wounds and then walking away, the police spokesman alleged.

“These were local homeless individuals known to frequent the downtown area,” he said. “Investigators later determined Aguirre’s attacks were unprovoked.”

The victims were discovered a short time later by passers-by, who called 911. Both died where they fell.

Aguirre was identified based on undisclosed evidence that Riverside police Chief Larry Gonzalez said the detective squad worked “around the clock” to procure. The defendant was tracked to his residence on Spectacular Boulevard, where he was taken into custody without incident on March 13.

Aguirre’s prior convictions were not listed by the court.

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The officers — Timothy Popplewell, Richard Cranford and Raymond Olivares — are all military veterans who were awarded a 100% disability rating through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Their attorney argues that the officers lawfully qualified for the plates, which provide benefits such as exemption from vehicle registration fees and access to disabled parking privileges.

However, the Riverside Police Department has questioned whether the officers were eligible to receive the plates while continuing to perform full police duties, according to statements from their attorney, Matthew McNicholas.

McNicholas contends the department’s reasoning misunderstands how veteran disability ratings work under federal guidelines. A veteran may receive a combined 100% disability rating based on multiple service-related conditions, which can include issues such as hearing damage, post-traumatic stress disorder, or physical injuries. According to the attorney, these conditions do not necessarily prevent a person from maintaining employment.

To obtain disabled veteran license plates in California, applicants must provide documentation from a physician or an official veterans’ agency confirming the qualifying disability.

The dispute began last May when the officers were placed on administrative leave while the department conducted an internal investigation into their use of the plates. Their attorneys say the officers were later asked by supervisors to remove the plates from their personal vehicles.

Three of the officers refused the request, arguing they had obtained the plates legally. A fourth officer who had similar plates reportedly complied with the department’s request and has not faced disciplinary action.

In July, the three officers filed a lawsuit in Riverside County Superior Court alleging they were subjected to discrimination and harassment based on their veteran and disability status.

City officials discussed the case during a closed Riverside City Council meeting in late February to determine whether a settlement should be reached. The council ultimately voted not to settle the lawsuit, according to attorneys involved in the case.

Shortly afterward, the officers received formal notices indicating the department intended to terminate their employment.

The Riverside Police Department has declined to comment publicly on the case or the officers’ current employment status, citing confidentiality rules related to personnel matters.

Attorneys representing the officers say the termination process is not yet final. The officers are expected to have the opportunity to challenge the department’s decision during an internal appeal hearing.

All three men served overseas before joining the Riverside Police Department in 2019. Popplewell served in Iraq during his military career, while Cranford also deployed to Iraq and Olivares served in the Marine Corps with assignments in the Middle East and Africa.

The legal dispute continues as both sides prepare for further proceedings.

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The fatality occurred shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday on University Avenue, just west of Victoria Avenue, according to the Riverside Police Department.

Sgt. Ryan Hodge said the victim, whose identity was not immediately released, was attempting to cross University amid traffic and stepped off the sidewalk into westbound lanes as a 2011 BMW sedan approached at an unconfirmed speed.

The driver was unable to stop or swerve in time and plowed into the man, Hodge said.

The driver was unable to stop or swerve in time and plowed into the man, Hodge said.

The motorist, who wasn’t injured and whose identity wasn’t disclosed, stopped to wait for first responders.

Hodge said paramedics arrived in minutes to find the victim unconscious and gravely injured. He was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, where he died less than an hour later.

Officers questioned the driver, who was determined not to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He was not arrested.

The westbound side of University was shut down for several hours while a preliminary investigation was conducted.

The four-lane corridor has a pedestrian crossing at Victoria, where there’s a motel, gas station, liquor store and fast-food restaurant. But the point of impact wasn’t at the intersection, according to Hodge.

He asked anyone with information relevant to the investigation to contact Traffic Bureau detectives at 951-828-8720.

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The victim, identified only as a Corona resident, was struck shortly before 8 a.m. at Eucalyptus and University avenues, near downtown, according to the Riverside Police Department.

Sgt. Tim Jensen said the woman was walking northbound on Eucalyptus and entered the crosswalk at University when a southbound Honda Civic initiated a left turn onto University from Eucalyptus, plowing into the victim.

The motorist, identified only as a 29-year-old Riverside man, immediately stopped, Jensen said.

Riverside Fire Department paramedics arrived within minutes and found the pedestrian with extensive injuries. She was taken to Riverside Community Hospital in critical condition, according to the sergeant.

He said the motorist was questioned but not arrested.

Anyone with information was asked to contact the Major Accident Investigation Team at 951-826-8720.

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The shooting occurred at about 10:30 a.m. in the 6600 block of Palm Avenue, near Central Avenue, according to the Riverside Police Department.

Officer Ryan Railsback told City News Service that two Problem-Oriented Policing unit officers were conducting a carjacking investigation and received word that the two suspects involved the alleged theft were on Palm.

“The officers had learned this was a potential place where the suspects hang out, and they happened to come across them there,” Railsback said.

He said that as the two lawmen approached the vehicle, the two alleged thieves — identified only as men in their 40s — were exiting the car, and “one of the suspects produced a firearm, at which point an officer-involved shooting occurred.”

The gunman was struck by the officer’s bullets, while his cohort was not hit, according to Railsback, adding that neither officer was injured.

The police officers’ identities were not released.

“The suspect was taken to a hospital, where he is in stable condition,” Railsback said.

The other man was taken into custody without incident.

Railsback said they would likely be booked on suspicion of carjacking, as well as possibly weapons allegations and, “depending on how the suspect’s firearm was used,” assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer or attempted murder of a peace officer.

The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

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RIVERSIDE, CA — This week, a 51-year-old Riverside County man was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for his lead role in an operation that saw large quantities of methamphetamine trafficked from Mexico into the Inland Empire, prosecutors announced.

Timoteo Gomez, of Riverside, was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal. He is the 16th conviction in the federal probe that targeted criminal activities of the Riverside-based Casa Blanca Rifa criminal street gang. According to prosecutors, the gang is responsible for drug trafficking and associated violence in Riverside and the surrounding community.

From at least April 2020 until August 2020, Gomez and others purchased methamphetamine from their suppliers in Mexico as well as Los Angeles and Riverside counties and distributed it across the Inland Empire, according to prosecutors.

In April 2020, Gomez and others smuggled 46.6 pounds of methamphetamine from Mexico across the U.S. port of entry at Calexico and into Riverside County. In May 2020, another co-conspirator attempted to drive a 90.4 pounds-load of methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico through the San Ysidro port of entry, prosecutors said.

“In total, law enforcement seized more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine and $31,035 in cash during this investigation,” according to the prosecutors.

Gomez has been in federal custody since his June 2021 arrest. He pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

The FBI’s Inland Empire Safe Streets Task Force, which includes the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, and the Riverside Police Department, led the investigation into the operation.

During the investigation, the task force received assistance from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

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As Carol Lynn Etchells’ explanation of her mother’s disappearance unraveled, a Riverside police detective dialed the cell phone belonging to 87-year-old Miriam Travis, who Etchells had asserted was in Minnesota checking on a burglarized cabin.

A detective said in a sworn affidavit written to obtain a search warrant that he heard the phone ring, and the sound was coming from Etchells.

Hours later on Sept. 19, after police served the warrant at the New Ridge Drive home, Travis’ well-preserved body was found in a freezer in the garage.

Etchells, 64, whose relatives told police was taking care of her mother, has not been arrested or charged and has not been accused of anything beyond some questionable statements.

Travis’ cause of death has not been announced.

But police, including an economic crimes detective who focuses on elder abuse, are investigating, among other angles, whether Travis died of natural causes and her death was kept a secret so her pension checks from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – where she once had been a homicide detective – would continue to roll in, said Riverside Police spokesman Javier Cabrera.

Officers knew something was amiss the moment they stepped on the property located on a ridgetop with a view of Sycamore Canyon Park. The officers, asked to investigate why out-of-state family members who talk frequently with Travis had not heard from her in more than a month, initially could not find the front door, the affidavit said.

“Officers walked around the entire large property and found that every entrance and exit to the residence was blocked by huge piles of trash and debris,” the document said. Eventually, they found a sliding door in the back, where they knocked and got a response from Etchells. She told the officers that Travis had left the state and had not been able to talk to anyone on the phone after having throat surgery. Etchells refused to allow officers in the house.

But the officers were not dissuaded, and searched the home because of odors they smelled, the lack of communication with the family and poor cooperation from Etchells, the document said. The interior was beyond cluttered.

“We had to climb through piles of garbage and debris that could be as tall as 4-5 feet. There were times where my feet/knees were at the top of door frames 6 feet high,” a detective wrote.

Officers could not immediately find Travis. They again questioned Etchells, who said Travis left a month ago and this time added that Travis went with Etchells’ boyfriend, Steve Muniz. Etchells could not provide a cell number for Travis.

But she did telephone Muniz, and as a detective spoke to him, Etchells shouted “Tell them you’re in Minnesota with Miriam Travis,” the document said. In fact, Muniz told the detective, he was at home in Long Beach. Muniz, who had known Travis for 40 years, also said he knew nothing about the surgery.

That prompted detectives to place Etchells in a patrol car while they investigated. Later questioned again, Etchells first said she saw Travis two to three weeks ago before changing the timeline to one and a half weeks.

That’s when detectives called Travis’ cell phone.

“We heard the phone ring and found out that the phone Carol Etchells had in her possession and had been using while we were on scene was Miriam Travis’,” the document said. The inconsistent statements and the smells coming from the home prompted detectives to seek the warrant to more thoroughly search it.

Another document listed what detectives found:

“Miscellaneous financial documents for Miriam Travis.”

“The deceased body of Miriam Travis.”

Brian Rokos | Contributed

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Noe Perez Gonzalez, 37, was arrested earlier this month following a Riverside Police Department investigation into the Oct. 26 death of Patrick Leway in the 2900 block of Cimarron Road.

Gonzalez is being held in lieu of $5 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside, and he’s scheduled for arraignment on Friday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Gail O’Rane at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, Leway was standing on the sidewalk in front of his residence when Gonzalez allegedly came barreling toward him in a 2020 Toyota pickup truck.

“The vehicle was traveling west on Cimarron … left the roadway and collided with the pedestrian,” Railsback said.

He alleged that the defendant sped away from the scene, leaving the victim lying in the roadway, bleeding to death. Leway was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Railsback said the investigation was initially handled as a hit-and-run resulting in death, without any other known circumstances. However, in the ensuing weeks, detectives acquired information pointing to an allegedly intentional act by the driver, the police spokesman said.

No other details were disclosed, including a possible motive.

Gonzalez was tracked down to a house on Redlands Avenue and taken into custody without incident on Nov. 19.

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The coronavirus pandemic shut down entire industries in March, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without work and in desperate need for help. The onslaught of unemployment claims have led to claims of fraud, prompting an audit and a reset period.

Riverside police issued a warning Monday to beware of mail fraud suspects showing up at homes to take incoming and returned mail from mailboxes.

“Some residents have even been contacted at their home, then coerced and threatened into relinquishing the EDD mail,” Riverside police spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback said in a statement.

Even though the EDD suggests recipients of unintended mail return it back to the post office labeled “return to sender,” Riverside police is recommending that suspicious mail be turned in directly to officers as soon as it is discovered.

Riverside residents who find unsolicited correspondence from the EDD or other unemployment offices from other states can call the Public Safety Communications Center at (951) 354-2007 so an officer can be sent out to collect the suspicious mail.

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On Tuesday, September 15, 2020, at around 9:00 a.m. an officer attempted to stop a Chevy Silverado truck near Essex Street and Mountain View Avenue. The driver did not stop and attempted to lose the officer as he made quick turns. He eventually stopped suddenly on Mountain View Avenue. The officer stopped behind him and exited his vehicle to make contact with the driver. The driver quickly put the truck in reverse and struck the police vehicle. The vehicle was struck with enough force to cause the airbags to deploy and move the police car approximately 8 feet, disabling the vehicle. 

The driver drove away at a high rate of speed. The officer was uninjured but the police vehicle was damaged. The driver was described as a 40 to 50-year-old white man who was wearing reading-type glasses and a hat. He was driving a 1998 to 2002 white Chevy Silverado truck with an extended cab, with paper license plates with a partial number possibly AZA-78. The truck had a gray hood with chipped paint and patches of gray. It also had previous collision damage to the front bumper area. 

If you see this vehicle or have any information regarding its owner or this described driver, please contact Sergeant Matt Lewis at (951) 351-6085 or MLewis@riversideca.gov.  Those wishing to remain anonymous can email rpdtips@riversideca.gov or utilize the Riverside Police Department’s mobile app “Submit a Tip” feature while referencing report number 200024316.

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