JURUPA VALLEY: Deputy investigating vehicle burglary injured during arrest of wanted fugitive
UPDATE: April 1, 3:30 p.m. Officials determine suspect’s true identity.
JURUPA VALLEY – A deputy was injured during an early morning scuffle while taking a combative vehicle burglary suspect into custody Friday, March 31. The man was later determined to be a fugitive from justice. The incident and arrest happened in the 7000 block of Candlelight Drive in Jurupa Valley.
Mark Stevens was arrested during a vehicle burglary investigation in Jurupa Valley. RSO booking photo
During a vehicle burglary investigation, authorities determined Mark Allan Stevens, 46, of Jurupa Valley – who originally identified himself as 50-year-old Matthew Dean Stevens – had a no-bail felony warrant for being a fugitive from justice on burglary-related charges from the State of Missouri.
Stevens was arrested after the incident and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of petty theft, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest and his felony warrant.
“The officer was treated for his injuries at a local hospital and released,” Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Christian Dekker explained in a written press release after the violent encounter.
Officials did not specify the nature of the deputy’s injuries.
The deputy from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Jurupa Valley Police Station was injured after responding to a vehicle burglary about 2:24 a.m.
The official, who has not been identified, arrived within minutes of receiving the call and spotted Stevens inside the victim’s vehicle.
“The officer attempted to detain the suspect, who exited the victim’s vehicle and tried to flee the scene,” Dekker explained. “The suspect resisted arrest during which the officer sustained minor injuries, while taking the suspect into custody.”
An online jail records search revealed Stevens was being held without bail based on his felony warrant. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday’s charges at the Riverside Hall of Justice April 5.
Anyone who has additional information regarding this incident is urged to contact Deputy Ghiliotty at (951) 955-2600 or after hours reporting at (951) 776-1099. Callers can refer to incident file number JV170900008 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.
Trevor 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 and breaking his back in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with 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 and Personnel/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.