HEMET: Police still seeking witnesses to June stabbing death of Marine Veteran
HEMET – Three months after a Marine Corps Veteran and father of two children was fatally stabbed during a fight outside a Hemet bar, Hemet police officials are still seeking the public’s help identifying and locating suspects and witnesses to the deadly incident.
RELATED: Veteran, father of 2, dead after Hemet double stabbing, second victim recovering (Click link to view original story.)
Hemet police officials are asking for the public’s help identifying the suspect who fatally stabbed 29-year-old Nicholas Males during a fight in a Hemet parking lot.
Nicholas Males, 29, of Whittier, died Sunday, June 19, when he was stabbed after a fight broke out in the parking lot outside Elite Bar & Lounge in the 100 block of N. Harvard Avenue in Hemet. The deadly stabbing happened about 2:20 a.m.
Males – who was in town visiting family and friends for his sister’s birthday – was one of two men stabbed during the violent, early-morning confrontation in downtown Hemet.
In spite of life-saving efforts by the first officer who arrived on scene as well as efforts by responding paramedics and fire personnel, Males died shortly after being rushed to the Hemet Valley Medical Center.
The other victim stabbed during the melee recovered from his injuries.
During their investigation into the fatal stabbing, Hemet police investigators determined Males and his friends were attacked by a large group of subjects while walking through the parking lot.
“The investigation revealed that there was a large crowd of people present before, during and after the attack,” Hemet Police Lieutenant Eddie Pust said in a press release shortly after the incident.
However, despite of the department’s efforts and ongoing investigation, no witnesses to the stabbing have come forward and investigators have not been able to identify any suspects in the fatal stabbing.
To date, no arrests have been made in the case and the investigation is active and ongoing.
Military records indicated Males was a lance corporal and served in the Marine Corps for four years as a traffic management specialist. He served from 2007 to 2011.
During his service, Males received the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
Anyone who witnessed the deadly stabbing or who has any information or knowledge related to this case is encouraged to immediately contact Hemet Police Investigator Doug Klinzing at (951) 765-2400. Callers can remain anonymous.
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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. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex related crimes.
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 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.