Riverside County Sheriff’s K9 fatally struck by car during investigation
Riverside County Sheriff’s K9 Pepper was killed in the line of duty when struck by a vehicle in the Good Hope area. RSO courtesy photo
GOOD HOPE – A Riverside County Sheriff’s K9 was killed Wednesday, August 24 after being struck by a car, according to Riverside Sheriff’s Pubic Information Officer Deputy Mike Vasquez. The fatal accident happened just before 9:00 a.m. in the unincorporated community of Good Hope.
Good Hope is located along Highway 74, just to the west of Perris and to the northeast of Lake Elsinore.
A Riverside County Search Dog Volunteer and his K-9 companion Pepper, described as a 3 ½ year old female, black Labrador Retriever, were assisting with an investigation when the deadly accident occurred.
“During this investigation, Pepper was struck by a vehicle on an adjacent roadway,” Munoz explained. “As a result of the collision, Pepper died.”
“The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is saddened by this tragic accident, and appreciative of the volunteer services provided by Pepper, and the countless volunteer dogs and handlers who selflessly serve the communities of Riverside County,”Munoz wrote in a press release about the tragic incident.
Anyone interested in giving donations, sympathy cards, etc. please contact the Riverside County Sheriff’s Perris Station for details. They can be reached at (951) 210-1000 and their mailing address is 137 N. Perris Blvd. Suite A Perris, CA 92570.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, Personnel and Background Investigations and he finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator.
Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 10 (soon to be 12) grandchildren.
I use to be a volunteer with the San Jacinto PD. We lost a k9 as well. I am so sad for the loss of the dog,Pepper, and for the loss of the department. It is a sad day indeed to hear the loss of an officer of the department.