UPDATED: FULLERTON: Moreno Valley man, murdered last Thursday, ID’d
UPDATE: 11/09/2016 9 p.m.
FULLERTON – One man was killed and another was shot during a domestic dispute in Fullerton Thursday, Nov. 3. The deadly shooting happened in front of the Citrus Lane Apartments in the 1300 block of S. Orange Avenue in Fullerton. The apartments are south of W. Orangethorpe Avenue and west of Euclid Street.
Coroner’s officials later identified Alton Evans III, 41, of Moreno Valley, as the man killed in the shooting.
Fullerton police officers and other emergency first responders were dispatched to the apartments about 9:42 p.m., after City of Fullerton emergency dispatchers received numerous 911 calls from citizens reporting shots fired in the area.
When officers arrived they located two male victims outside an apartment complex. Both were suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers performed lifesaving measures at the scene, prior to paramedics arrival.
Firefighters and paramedics determined Evans had been shot multiple times in the upper body. Paramedics transported Evans to UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange. He succumbed to his injuries less than an hour later and was pronounced dead by hospital staff at 10:27 p.m.
A second victim, described only as a 22-year-old male, was shot in the hand and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. He is expected to fully recover from his injuries.
The officers’ initial investigation revealed that the two victims were shot during a domestic disturbance.
Based on the circumstances, homicide detectives responded to the scene and assumed the investigation. They were assisted by forensic technicians and coroner’s officials.
Detectives determined the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute between the two victims and two suspects. After the deadly shooting, Fullerton Police Sgt. Jon Radus explained, “This shooting was not a random act of violence. They all knew each other prior to the dispute and subsequent shooting.”
Two people involved in the deadly shooting, identified as Zachary Simmons, 20, of Moreno Valley, and Andre Evans, 39, of Hesperia were arrested shortly after the incident. They were booked into the Fullerton City Jail for murder.
It was not immediately known what the family relationship was between the two victims and the two alleged suspects.
After consulting with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, officials released both Simmons and Evans, pending further investigation. The decision to release the two alleged suspects was “due to conflicting accounts about what may have occurred leading up to, and during the altercation last night,” Radus explained.
The investigation is active and ongoing. The Fullerton Police Department has encouraged anyone with information about this shooting or who witnessed the incident to contact Detective Veronica Gardea at (714) 738-6728. Callers can refer to incident file number 16-04679-MT. Those wishing to provide information anonymously can do so by calling Orange County Crime Stoppers at (855) TIP-OCCS, or by visiting their website at www.occrimestoppers.org.
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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 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 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.