Riverside County Sheriff’s Department – Attorney Legal Counsel

Charges Filed Against 2 Suspects in Shooting With Deputy in Thousand Palms

attorneylegalcounsel99 — Sat, 24 Feb 2024 16:57:00 +0000

INDIO (CNS) – Felony charges were filed Monday against two men accused in a confrontation with sheriff’s deputies that led to an exchange of gunfire, injuring a deputy and one of the suspects in Thousand Palms.

Jose Eduardo Rosales Perez, 34, of Desert Hot Springs, and 27-year-old Kristian Galeana were each charged with two felony counts of attempted murder on a peace officer along with one felony count each of being a convicted felon and narcotic addict in possession of a firearm and possessing ammunition, according to court records. Galeana additionally faces two sentence-enhancing allegations of discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury.

Perez was set to be arraigned Monday, but the hearing was delayed until Tuesday morning at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. No court date was immediately set for Galeana.

Deputies from the Palm Desert sheriff’s station responded at 7:08 p.m. Wednesday to find a felony hit-and-run suspect in the area of Ramon and Robert Roads, according to Sgt. Deirdre Vickers of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies stopped a vehicle with two people inside — Perez behind the wheel and Galeana the passenger.

“While detaining the driver of the vehicle, the passenger fired at deputies, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred,” Vickers wrote in a statement. “The suspect barricaded inside the vehicle and refused to follow commands.”

One deputy was struck by gunfire and taken to a hospital, where he remained in stable condition, Vickers said. The sheriff’s department’s Special Enforcement Bureau and the California Highway Patrol subsequently responded to the scene to assist with the barricaded suspect, who ultimately emerged from the vehicle and was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries suffered in the exchange of gunfire, according to Vickers.

The name of the injured deputy, who was described as being stable, has not been released.

Both suspects were booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio, where they remain held on $1 million bail, according to inmate records. Perez was booked Thursday morning and Galeana on Sunday morning.

“The involved deputies will be placed on paid administrative leave according to Department policy,” Vickers said. “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.”

Anyone with information on the shooting was asked to call Riverside County District attorney investigator Mario Moreno at 951-955-9470.

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The post Charges Filed Against 2 Suspects in Shooting With Deputy in Thousand Palms appeared first on Attorney Legal Counsel.

Man sentenced to death for quadruple murder in Riverside County

attorneylegalcounsel99 — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 14:36:17 +0000

A man convicted of a quadruple murder in Riverside County was sentenced to the death penalty, officials announced Friday.

Jose Vladimir Larin Garcia, 24, was found guilty by a jury on Feb. 6 of the execution-style murders of four people in Palm Springs, according to the Riverside County District attorney’s Office.

The victims were identified as:

Carlos Campos-Rivera, 25
Jacob Montgomery, 19
Juan Duarte-Raya, 18
Yuliana Garcia, 17, who was also pregnant at the time

On Feb. 3, 2019, Larin Garcia was riding in a vehicle with three victims. They drove to meet up with a fourth victim, Campos-Rivera, outside of his apartment complex.

When Campos-Rivera was spotted, the suspect shot him twice, including a “kill-shot to the head,” before the vehicle drove away.

According to a witness, the other three victims were heard screaming from inside the car when multiple gunshots were heard before a loud crash.

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attorney‘s Office)” class=”wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-2848317″ data-id=”2848317″ src=”https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?w=900″ srcset=”https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png 1920w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=160,90 160w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=300,169 300w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=768,432 768w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=1280,720 1280w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=1536,864 1536w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=320,180 320w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=256,144 256w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=512,288 512w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=640,360 640w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=876,492 876w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=1752,986 1752w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=960,540 960w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=290,162 290w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=280,157 280w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/anaheim-police-dept.-1-6.png?resize=50,28 50w” sizes=”(max-width: 899px) 100vw, 876px”/>Jose Vladimir Larin Garcia, 24, was sentenced to the death penalty for the execution-style murders of four people in Palm Springs in 2019. (Riverside County District attorney’s Office)
“I would like to thank the District attorney’s office for the support that I have received for the past few years,” said Maria Morales, the mother of Yuliana Garcia, pictured with prosecutors. (Riverside County District attorney’s Office)

Arriving officers spotted the crashed vehicle on Sunny Dunes Road where inside, the bodies of Montgomery, Duarte-Raya and Yuliana Garcia were found. All victims were found with “targeted gunshot wounds to the head,” authorities said.

Yuliana Garcia’s hand was also found injured, believed to have occurred as she “tried to shield herself from the barrage of gunfire at close range,” the DA’s office said.

The suspect ran from the scene and was located a few blocks away, hiding underneath a truck. He was “spattered in the victims’ blood, with his shoes and jacket removed” at the time, police said.

Authorities transported the suspect to the hospital to treat multiple abrasions. While there, he called his mother and told her he needed to speak with a lawyer. He later fled barefoot from the hospital still wearing his medical gown, authorities said.

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The next day, investigators located and arrested the suspect at a Greyhound bus station. He had shaved his head, changed into different clothing and was holding a Florida-bound bus ticket booked under a fake name, court documents said.

He was charged with four counts of murder, but a mistrial was declared in March 2022. A second trial was held where the jury found the suspect guilty of four counts of first-degree murder.

They also found true the allegation of the personal use of a firearm and the special circumstances of lying in wait, along with multiple victims involved. Due to these special circumstances, he was eligible for a death sentence, the DA’s office explained.

On Feb. 9, a Riverside County judge affirmed the jury’s findings that Larin Garcia should be sentenced to death.

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“The death penalty is reserved for those who have truly proven themselves to be without remorse for actions that are among the most egregious imaginable,” said Mike Hestrin, Riverside County District attorney. “The decision made today is not one made lightly, but reflects the heinous nature of these crimes, committed by a man who took so much away from so many people, for something so inconsequential.”

“The magnitude of the crimes that the defendant committed that night was enormous,” said Samantha Paixao, the Deputy DA who prosecuted the case. “It was five victims who were taken. Carlos, Jacob, Juan, Yuliana, and her unborn child. Their loss left a gaping wound in their lives. Mothers and fathers who are left without their child, children who have to grow up without their father, their grandchild, the siblings who must go on without their loved one.”

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Families sue Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for inmate deaths

attorneylegalcounsel99 — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 03:11:40 +0000

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

The families of three men who died while in the custody of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are suing for civil rights violations.

Loved ones gathered in front of a federal courthouse in downtown Riverside on Thursday to announce the new lawsuits which will join four others already filed against the county.

Attorneys representing the families said the inmate deaths could have been prevented and are now seeking justice.

“We’re here to announce three additional civil rights lawsuits filed in federal court against the county,” said attorney Christian Contreras.

The complaints list Riverside County, its sheriff department and Sheriff Chad Bianco as the defendants, alleging charges of negligence, failure to protect inmates from harm, failure to provide medical care and more.

All three inmates died in 2022 in separate incidents while being held at Riverside County jails.

The families of three men who died while in custody of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are suing for civil rights violations. (KTLA)
The families of three men who died while in custody of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are suing for civil rights violations. (KTLA)
The families of three men who died while in custody of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are suing for civil rights violations. (KTLA)
The families of three men who died while in custody of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are suing for civil rights violations. (KTLA)

“It seems like if you commit any offense, whether it be a minor offense or any type of offense, you will die in jail,” said Contreras.

Sara Solis wants justice for her son, Mario, who was arrested in April 2022 for a nonviolent offense.

She said from then on, Mario exhibited signs of mental illness. In September 2022, Mario ingested a pencil, a toothbrush, and bags of soap and ultimately died from a puncture to his veins.

Attorneys allege Mario’s death by suicide happened because the staff did not properly conduct safety checks on inmates.

“What’s my definition of a jail? A place that killed my brother before he could turn the age of 21,” said Marissa Vazquez, whose brother, Michael, died in custody. “A place that is unsafe for any individual.”

Marissa said her 20-year-old brother was arrested for burglary and six days later was found on his bunk, suffering from an apparent overdose. His family alleges his death was caused by a delayed response in life-saving medical care and safety checks.

The new lawsuits come after California attorney General Rob Bonta announced a civil rights investigation into the sheriff’s department by the Department of Justice in February.

“Our investigation will seek to determine whether the sheriff’s office has engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing,” said Bonta.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco responded to the lawsuit announcement on Thursday night, saying:

“The theatrics of attorneys do nothing but further victimize families. Their misleading statements for the media do not change the facts of how they died. The facts are that our deputies and nurses do all they can to prevent inmates from illegally taking drugs that kill them, committing suicide, or harming other inmates. We will vigorously fight these frivolous suits in court. Not one of these inmate deaths has involved deputies.”

Denisse Gastélum, another attorney representing the families, said Bianco’s “continued attacks on the families and their attorneys only furthers the point that Sheriff Bianco does not care and has no regard to human life.”

Gastélum alleged that Bianco “posted offensive questions” to the families on social media, including asking, “Did they demand that their family members not commit suicide or consume drugs while they were in custody?”

“It is no surprise that this insensitive position regarding individuals who suffer from mental illness has a trickledown effect from the County to the Sheriff to the corrections supervisors and on down to the custody and medical staff working at the County jails,” Gastélum said.

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Ex-deputy faces felony charges after being caught with more than 100 pounds of fentanyl, gun, RCDA says

attorneylegalcounsel99 — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 02:46:13 +0000

A former Riverside County Sheriff’s Department correctional deputy faces a series of local felony charges after he was allegedly caught with more than 100 pounds of fentanyl and a gun.

Banning resident Jorge Oceguera-Rocha, 25, was pulled over in Calimesa on Sept. 17, and authorities allegedly found a gun and narcotics, the Riverside County District attorney’s Office said in a news release.

The Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Oceguera-Rocha had been under investigation for playing “a pivotal role of trafficking large quantities of narcotics within Riverside County while off duty.”

Deputy caught with more than 44 pounds of drugs, gun, RCSD says

On Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Department detailed that the drugs in question were fentanyl pills, of which Oceguera-Rocha had 104 pounds.

Federal prosecutors declined to file charges against him, but Riverside County officials charged Oceguera-Rocha with possession of narcotics, transportation with the intent to distribute narcotics, weight enhancements for the narcotics and possession of a firearm while in possession of narcotics.

He is being held at the John Benoit Detention Center in lieu of $5 million bail.

The RCSD said the large bail figure was “based on the weight amount, danger to the public and potential for Oceguera-Rocha to flee from prosecution.”

If convicted of all charges, he could be sentenced to up to 10 years in jail, the DA’s office said.

At the time of his arrest, Oceguera-Rocha was a deputy at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility, a position he resigned before he could be fired.

His next court date is scheduled for Oct. 31.

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2 accused of multi-million dollar luxury car theft in Southern California

attorneylegalcounsel99 — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 06:14:14 +0000

Two men were charged for allegedly stealing over $1 million worth of luxury cars throughout Riverside County.

The suspects were identified as Kendall Jamison Clark, 25, of Murrieta, and Gabriel Dean Watters, 47, of San Diego, according to the Riverside County District attorney’s Office.

The two suspects are accused of a multi-million dollar scheme involving the theft and sale of luxury rental cars.

In September, the owners of the stolen cars contacted authorities, reporting that vehicles rented by Clark were never returned. He had paid for a one-week rental and picked up the vehicles from an owner in Lake Matthews.

When the owners tried reporting the theft, they learned their names had been taken off the vehicles’ titles.

Some of the cars stolen by the suspect include:

-A 2022 Lamborghini Urus
-A 2022 Tesla Model Y
-A 2022 Chevrolet Corvette
-A 2021 Porsche Boxter
-A 2021 Lamborghini Aventador
-A 2021 Porsche Cayenne
-A 2020 Lamborghini Urus
-A 2021 Jeep Wrangler
-A 2017 BMW i8
-A 2015 Lamborghini Huracán

Authorities recover a 2015 Lamborghini Huracán allegedly stolen by a man from Murrieta. (Riverside County District attorney’s Office)
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attorney‘s Office)” class=”wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-2717855″ data-id=”2717855″ src=”https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Lamborghini-Aventador-interior.jpg?w=540″ srcset=”https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Lamborghini-Aventador-interior.jpg 3024w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Lamborghini-Aventador-interior.jpg?resize=225,300 225w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Lamborghini-Aventador-interior.jpg?resize=768,1024 768w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Lamborghini-Aventador-interior.jpg?resize=540,720 540w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Lamborghini-Aventador-interior.jpg?resize=1152,1536 1152w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Lamborghini-Aventador-interior.jpg?resize=1536,2048 1536w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Lamborghini-Aventador-interior.jpg?resize=100,133 100w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Lamborghini-Aventador-interior.jpg?resize=200,266 200w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Lamborghini-Aventador-interior.jpg?resize=520,693 520w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Lamborghini-Aventador-interior.jpg?resize=1040,1386 1040w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Lamborghini-Aventador-interior.jpg?resize=38,50 38w, https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Lamborghini-Aventador-interior.jpg?resize=876,1168 876w” sizes=”(max-width: 899px) 100vw, 540px”/>A Lamborghini Aventador recovered after two men were charged in a multi-million dollar car theft scheme in Riverside County. (Riverside County District attorney’s Office)

Investigators discovered Watters was purchasing the stolen cars from Clark at prices much lower than their real value, the DA’s office said.

“Watters would meet up with Clark at locations throughout Riverside County, pay him for a group of cars, and then take the cars to other locations, including Mexico, where he would attempt to sell them again,” court documents said.

Clark was arrested in San Diego on Oct. 18. He was charged with 18 felonies including embezzlement and car theft.

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Clark pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on $250,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 14.

On Nov. 27, Watters was arrested at the San Diego International Airport as he was trying to board a flight to San Francisco. He is being held on $1 million bail. A court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8.

The stolen vehicles were eventually returned to their respective owners. Clark is still being investigated for other crimes.

Anyone with information can call Detective Matt Guzzino of the Riverside Auto-Theft Interdiction Detail task force at 951-290-1923.

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Driver in shooting of Riverside County sheriff’s deputy arrested – NBC Los Angeles

attorneylegalcounsel99 — Sun, 22 Oct 2023 06:20:43 +0000

The driver of a vehicle that was involved in a car-to-car shooting with sheriff’s deputies during a hit-and-run investigation near Palm Desert has been arrested, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department announced Saturday.

A Riverside County sheriff’s deputy was shot Wednesday during a traffic stop for a vehicle suspected in a hit-and-run crash, officials announced. While detaining the driver, who was later identified as 34-year-old Jose RosalesPerez of Desert Hot Springs, the passenger of the suspect vehicle opened fire on deputies, striking one of them.

The injured sheriff’s deputy was taken to a nearby hospital, where he is in stable condition. Riverside law enforcement said the gunman was also shot by deputies and hospitalized in stable condition. That individual, whose identity is being withheld, was later arrested.

RosalesPerez was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center for his “actions and involvement during the incident.” He faces three counts of attempted murder of a peace officer. It is unclear if the suspect has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

Riverside County sheriffs did not release the name of the deputy who was shot. The department did say, however, that the officials involved in the shooting will be placed on paid administrative leave per its policy.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Riverside County District attorney Investigator Mario Moreno 951-955-9470 or Riverside County Sheriff’s Master Investigator Martin Alfaro at 760-393-3528.

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Riverside County correctional deputy faces 18 felony charges in sextortion case – NBC Los Angeles

attorneylegalcounsel99 — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 08:47:49 +0000

Two women who accused a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department correctional deputy of sextortion while they were inmates are empowering other possible victims to come forward.

In a press conference held Tuesday, two women urged others to come forward if they believe they were victimized by 32-year-old Christian Heidecker. Heidecker, who is facing 18 felony charges for alleged sextortion, turned himself in two weeks after the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department was notified of the allegations on Aug. 31.

“I just want every other girl to not be afraid,” one accuser said. “I know that they tell us that we don’t have a chance, but here I am to tell you we do.”

Heidecker, who is on paid administrative leave, is accused of engaging in sexual acts with female inmates on home detention. He is now facing charges that include rape, bribery and extortion.

“We are here because we would like other victims to come forward and not to be afraid of the sheriff’s department, even though this is very hard and it’s a very scary situation for us because our freedom is in their hands,” a second accuser said.

According to attorneys for the women, the department is accused of engaging in a coverup in an effort to keep at least one of the alleged victims quiet.

“They made her sign a 1099, a settlement release agreement in the exchange for $1,000 so that she kept her mouth shut,” attorney Denisse Gastelum said.”

In a comment to NBC4, a spokesperson for Riverside County released the following statement:

“Pre-litigation settlements do not contain non-disclosure language. In fact, as this specific case involves an ongoing criminal investigation, these women may testify in a criminal trial. To characterize any pre-litigation settlements as an effort to buy silence is a clear mischaracterization.

It is not uncommon to seek settlement prior to litigation to avoid the time and expense for both sides associated with lawsuits.

The county received this claim today and will review it thoroughly to determine next steps.”

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