Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office responded around 10:23 p.m. to the 1300 block of Heron Way after receiving reports of an assault with a deadly weapon.

Upon arrival, deputies discovered evidence of a shooting and located a man suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to investigators, the homeowner had been visiting a nearby residence when he heard screams and gunshots coming from his own home. He immediately returned and encountered an unknown man inside the residence who was armed with a shotgun.

Sheriff’s officials said the homeowner armed himself and confronted the intruder. During the confrontation, the suspect allegedly fired several rounds at the homeowner, who returned fire, striking the intruder.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said no other injuries were reported.

As part of the investigation, the homeowner was transported to the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station for questioning. No arrests have been made.

The identity of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of family members.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit is leading the investigation. Once completed, the case will be forwarded to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for review.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact Central Homicide Investigator Cook at 951-955-2777 or San Jacinto Station Investigator Ghiliotty at 951-654-2702.

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Deputy Public Defender Derek Dillman “expressed a doubt” that his client, 35-year-old speech pathologist Ivanna Ortiz, was competent to stand trial on charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon after she allegedly opened fire on the singer’s Bevelry Crest property on March 8.

But after a brief closed-door hearing, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Shannon Cooley did not find there was substantial evidence of Ortiz’s mental “incompetence” and ordered criminal proceedings to continue.

A spokeswoman for the public defender’s office declined to comment outside the courtroom, noting Cooley had sealed any discussion of Ortiz’s mental health. Dillman did not offer specifics about his concerns during the portions of the hearing open to the public.

Prosecutors say the shots fired by Ortiz struck Rihanna’s home, a neighbor’s residence and an Airstream parked on the grounds. No one was hit, but Rihanna and her husband — hip-hop and actor ASAP Rocky — were inside the Airstream at the time it was shot.

Ortiz has pleaded not guilty.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ortiz sought to have Dillman fired as her attorney during a closed-door hearing before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Shannon Cooley, who presumably blocked that attempt as Dillman was still representing Ortiz late Wednesday morning.

Ortiz continued to bicker with Dillman later in the day when he tried to schedule a future hearing in the case for July, demanding he “do it sooner.”

After Dillman expressed concern about his client’s mental health, Cooley cleared the courtroom so she could question the attorney for evidence of Ortiz’s purported mental illness. Typically, when a defense attorney raises questions about their client’s mental fitness, judges refer such cases to the mental health court in Hollywood. L.A. County Deputy Dist. Atty. Alexander Bott, who is prosecuting the case, said he had never seen anything like what happened on Wednesday.

On the day of the shooting, Rihanna said Rocky was sleeping when she “suddenly heard approximately ten loud sounds like something banging on metal,” according to a police report made public in a court filing in late March.

When the shooting stopped, she grabbed Rocky “out of bed, told him they were being shot at and pushed both of them to the ground,” according to the police report. The couple then ran to their house to check on their children, the police report said.

Ortiz had made a number of disparaging posts about Rihanna on social media in the weeks leading up to the shooting.

When police arrested her in Sherman Oaks an hour after the shooting, Ortiz was carrying a black Springfield Armory rifle and two 30-round rifle magazines, according to the police report. She legally owned the firearm, according to court records.

While Ortiz declined to answer specific questions from police after her arrest, she did make a brief statement to investigators.

“Can I say one sentence?” she asked, according to the report. “I would like to say that I wasn’t attempting murder. But that’s all I wanted to say.”

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The lawsuit comes after state authorities disclosed that ChatGPT gave information to the shooter about what time and location would maximize victims on campus, as well as the type of gun and ammunition to use. Authorities say he was also told that an attack can get more media attention if children are involved.

“OpenAI knew this would happen. It’s happened before and it was only a matter of time before it happened again,” Vandana Joshi, whose husband Tiru Chabba was one of two people killed, said in a statement Monday. Six people were also wounded.

The lawsuit, filed Sunday in federal court, says OpenAI should have built ChatGPT with guardrails to let someone know that police may need to investigate “to prevent a specific plan for imminent harm to the public.”

OpenAI has denied any wrongdoing in what it called a “terrible crime.”

“In this case, ChatGPT provided factual responses to questions with information that could be found broadly across public sources on the internet, and it did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity,” Drew Pusateri, a spokesman for the company, said in an email to The Associated Press.

Separately, in April, Florida’s attorney general said there was a rare criminal investigation into ChatGPT over whether the AI tool offered advice to Phoenix Ikner that enabled the April 2025 shooting in Tallahassee. The 21-year-old has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and several counts of attempted murder. Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty.

Investigators said Ikner, a Florida State student, was on campus for an hour before he walked in and out of campus buildings and green spaces while firing a handgun. The shooting took place on a weekday just before lunchtime near the school’s Student Union, which has food and shops. The lawsuit says Ikner asked ChatGPT about the busiest times there.

Joshi’s husband, a 45-year-old father of two from Greenville, South Carolina, was a regional vice president of the food service vendor Aramark Collegiate Hospitality. The other man who was killed, Robert Morales, 57, was a campus dining coordinator at Florida State.

OpenAI “put their profits over our safety and it killed my husband. They need to be responsible before another family has to go through this,” Joshi said in a statement released by her lawyer.

OpenAI is currently valued at $852 billion.

Several lawsuits have sought damages from AI and tech companies over the influence of chatbots and social media on loved ones’ mental health.

In March, a jury in Los Angeles found both Meta and YouTube liable for harms to children using their services. In New Mexico, a jury determined that Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.

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ONTARIO, Calif. (AP) — An 18-year-old student authorities say had researched school shootings and had an arsenal of guns at his home was charged Wednesday with planning to attack a Southern California campus.

Sebastian Villasenor of Eastvale was charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of attempting to make criminal threats, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. He remained jailed.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether he had a lawyer to speak on his behalf. The DA’s office said it didn’t have information on whether Villasenor had representation but added that a lawyer would appear or could be appointed at his scheduled Thursday arraignment.

Investigators discovered that Villasenor “had every intention of carrying out a school shooting at the Ontario Christian High School” in Ontario, city Police Chief Michael Lorenz said at a news conference.

Ontario is 46 miles (75 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.

Villasenor, who didn’t have any criminal record, was arrested on Saturday after a classmate reported he “had been showing signs of being fixated on school shootings and had access to weapons,” the chief said.

School Principal Ben Dykhouse said he was grateful to God, the police and to the student “who was brave enough to say something when they saw something that was off.”

The police chief said Villasenor was “obsessed” with school shootings, researched tactical supplies and how long it would take police to arrive at the school and was in the process of choosing a date for his attack.

Police who went to Villasenor’s home found seven rifles, two revolvers, another handgun and a shotgun along with more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, Lorenz said.

Although he didn’t have a “hit list,” police believe that Villasenor was focusing on five Ontario students as intended victims and “contemplated” a sixth victim, based on interviews regarding his social interactions with the students, the chief said.

Lorenz said investigators determined that Villasenor wasn’t “bullied or harassed” but had difficulties “forming relationships with other students and in his social interactions.”

Lorenz said investigators believe Villasenor may have planning a shooting around April 20, which is the anniversary of the 1999 attack at Columbine High School in Colorado that left 15 people dead, including the two shooters.

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File # JV240340018

Details:

On Saturday, February 3, 2024, at 3:48 a.m., deputies assigned to the Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station responded to the 3300 block of Avalon Street in Jurupa Valley, reference a domestic dispute. It was reported a male adult was using a knife to threaten a female while multiple family members were present in the residence.

Deputies arrived on the scene and were able to safely evacuate everyone from the residence, but the suspect refused to exit. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) and the Crisis Negotiation Team responded to the scene and assumed the investigation. After extensive negotiations, SEB entered the residence, where the suspect exited a room armed with a knife. Despite multiple commands given to surrender, the suspect failed to comply, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred.

The suspect was struck by gunfire, and deputies rendered medical aid; however, the suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene. No deputies were injured during this incident. This is an ongoing investigation, and no additional details are available at this time.

The involved deputy will be placed on paid administrative leave according to Department policy. The name of the involved deputy will not be released at this time. The suspect’s identity will also be withheld pending next of kin notification.

An investigator from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office who is assigned to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Force Investigations Detail will lead this investigation. This is an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Riverside County Senior District Attorney Investigator Eric Crosson or Riverside County Sheriff’s Sergeant Jarred Bishop at 951–955–2777.

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

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File # WI23365020

Update:

At 4:51 p.m., deputies from the Riverside Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit and Lake Elsinore Special Enforcement Team located two subjects in the Temecula area matching the description of the outstanding suspects. Deputies attempted a vehicle stop, but the vehicle failed to yield, and a pursuit was initiated. The suspects ran from the vehicle but were later taken into custody without incident. One of the suspects had injuries consistent with the deputy-involved shooting that had occurred earlier in the day. They were transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. There are no outstanding suspects. The identity of the suspects will not be released at this time. This is an ongoing investigation; no further details are available.

Details:

On Sunday, December 31, 2023, at 1:09 p.m., a Wildomar deputy assigned to the Riverside Sheriff’s Lake Elsinore Station located a stolen vehicle in the area of Cervera Road and Prairie Road, Wildomar. The deputy attempted a vehicle stop; however, the suspect failed to follow commands. The suspect vehicle made a U-turn and intentionally drove into the driver’s side door of the deputy’s vehicle, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred. The deputy’s vehicle became disabled as a result of the collision.

The two occupants of the suspect vehicle ran northbound on Prairie Road toward Cervera Road, entered a silver Chevy Impala with license plate CA 7WLX269, and fled the scene. Witnesses described the first suspect as a 27–28-year-old thin-build Hispanic male, approximately 5’9”. He was last seen wearing a green hat, black hooded sweatshirt, and blue jeans. The second suspect was described as a 30-year-old Hispanic male approximately 5’3” or 5’4” heavy build. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark-colored jeans. He also has red lips tattooed on his right cheek.

The deputy sustained minor injuries during this incident. The suspects remain outstanding, and their injuries are unknown at this time. This is an ongoing investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.

The involved deputy will be placed on paid administrative leave according to department policy. The name of the involved deputy will not be released at this time. Investigators from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the Riverside Sheriff’s Force Investigations Detail will lead this investigation. This is an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Riverside County Senior District Attorney Investigator Eric Crosson or Riverside County Sheriff’s Master Investigator James Dickey at 951-955-2777.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the help of the public to identify and locate these two suspects. If you have any information on the whereabouts of the suspects or vehicle, please contact Riverside County Sheriff’s Dispatch at 951-776-1099. If there is an emergency, dial 9-1-1.

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

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File # T233440004

Update:

The suspect in this case has been identified as 53-year-old Kelly Lynette Cronn, a resident of Palm Desert. Cronn has been charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and is currently in custody and recovering from her injuries at the Riverside University Health Systems Detention Care Unit.

Details:

On Sunday, December 10, 2023, at 2:45 a.m., deputies from the Riverside Sheriff’s Palm Desert Station were dispatched to the 49000 block of State Highway 74, Palm Desert, regarding the report of a burglary in progress. The reporting party advised they were hiding in a bedroom but could hear someone inside their residence. Upon arrival, deputies located an unsecured door and entered the residence. Deputies located and detained one subject when a second subject appeared from a back room armed with a knife. Deputies gave commands to drop the knife, but the suspect refused, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred.

Deputies provided medical aid, and the suspect was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other detained subject was transported to the station, interviewed, and later released. No additional injuries were reported as a result of this incident. The suspect’s identity will not be released at this time.

The involved deputy will be placed on paid administrative leave according to department policy. The name of the involved deputy will not be released at this time. Investigators from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the Riverside Sheriff’s Force Investigations Detail will lead this investigation. This is an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Riverside County District Attorney Investigator J.R. Ferrer at 951-955-2700 or Riverside County Sheriff’s Master Investigator Martin Alfaro at 760-393-3528.

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

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

The post Deputy-Involved Shooting appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

File # T233440004

Details:

On Sunday, December 10, 2023, at 2:45 a.m., deputies from the Riverside Sheriff’s Palm Desert Station were dispatched to the 49000 block of State Highway 74, Palm Desert, regarding the report of a burglary in progress. The reporting party advised they were hiding in a bedroom but could hear someone inside their residence. Upon arrival, deputies located an unsecured door and entered the residence. Deputies located and detained one subject when a second subject appeared from a back room armed with a knife. Deputies gave commands to drop the knife, but the suspect refused, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred.

Deputies provided medical aid, and the suspect was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other detained subject was transported to the station, interviewed, and later released. No additional injuries were reported as a result of this incident. The suspect’s identity will not be released at this time.

The involved deputy will be placed on paid administrative leave according to department policy. The name of the involved deputy will not be released at this time. Investigators from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the Riverside Sheriff’s Force Investigations Detail will lead this investigation. This is an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Riverside County District Attorney Investigator J.R. Ferrer at 951-955-2700 or Riverside County Sheriff’s Master Investigator Martin Alfaro at 760-393-3528.

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 # D233390056

Details:

On Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at 10:38 p.m., while on duty, a Riverside Sheriff’s Hemet Station deputy was pumping gas in his sheriff’s vehicle at a business in the area of Meridian Street and Florida Avenue in Hemet. The deputy was alerted to a suspect standing on the sidewalk holding a handgun. The deputy gave the suspect commands; however, the suspect continued to manipulate the weapon, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred.

The deputy was uninjured, and the suspect was provided medical aid until they were transported to a local hospital.

The involved deputy will be placed on paid administrative leave according to Department policy. The name of the involved deputy will also not be released at this time. Investigators from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and the California Highway Patrol assigned to the Riverside Sheriff’s Force Investigations Detail will lead this investigation. This is an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact California Highway Patrol Investigator Steven Cuevas or Riverside County Sheriff’s Master Investigator James Dickey at 951-955-2777.

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

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prosecutors charged a man Monday with four counts of murder in the fatal shootings of three homeless men in Los Angeles and a suburban resident last month.

Jerrid Joseph Powell was also charged with one count of residential robbery and one count of being a felon with a firearm, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. He also faces special circumstances of committing multiple murders, murder in the course of a robbery, as well as personal use of a firearm allegations, the statement said.

Powell, 33, was scheduled to appear in court for arraignment later in the day. Efforts during the weekend to determine if he had a lawyer were unsuccessful.

Powell was initially arrested last week as a suspect in a deadly shooting during a robbery at a home in the community of San Dimas east of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles resident was then identified as a suspect in the killings of the three homeless men when a firearm found in his car was linked to those shootings, authorities said.

The motive for the killings of the homeless victims was not known, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said during a weekend press conference announcing the arrest.

Jose Bolanos, 37, was found dead with a gunshot wound around 3 a.m. on Nov. 26 in an alley in South Los Angeles, police said. The following day, Mark Diggs, 62, was shot and killed while pushing a shopping cart around 5 a.m. near downtown, according to officials.

The third shooting occurred Nov. 29 about 2:30 a.m. in the Lincoln Heights area, where the body of a 52-year-old man was found. Police did not immediately identify him pending notification of family.

Meanwhile, Nicholas Simbolon, 42, was shot dead at his home in San Dimas on the evening of Nov. 28. Authorities obtained surveillance images of a suspect vehicle, and the following night a license plate reader in Beverly Hills alerted police who made a traffic stop, resulting in Powell’s arrest.

“I want to extend my deepest appreciation to the incredible men and women of law enforcement who worked tirelessly to bring justice to our community and arrest this individual,” District Attorney George Gascón said in Monday’s statement. “The swift actions of law enforcement undoubtedly saved lives this week.”

If convicted on all charges, Powell faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Los Angeles County is the nation’s most populous, with about 10 million people, and was home to more than one in five of the nation’s homeless people, according to a 2022 federal tally. As of January, the last official count, more than 75,000 people were homeless across the county on any given night.

Advocates for homeless people say those living on the streets are much more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators.

Five homeless people were shot in Las Vegas on Friday, one of them fatally, and police were searching for a lone suspect, authorities said.

In Orange County, California, a man was charged with killing four homeless men in a series of stabbings from late 2011 to early 2012. Itzcoatl Ocampo, a former Marine, was charged with four counts of murder with special allegations of multiple murders, lying in wait and use of a deadly weapon in the killings. Ocampo died awaiting trial after reportedly eating cleanser he had collected slowly while in custody.

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