UPDATED: HEMET: 70-year-old arrested in shooting after victim crashes into parked FedEx truck
Officers provide first-aid to 55-year-old shooting victim Bruce Baily. Baily crashed his truck after losing consciousness when he was shot during a civil dispute involving a vehicle late Saturday night. John Strangis photo
UPDATE: April 11, 1:30 p.m. (See original story, photo and video below.)
Numerous emergency first responders rushed to the scene of the accident. John Strangis photo
HEMET – Officials have released additional information about last Saturday’s late-night shooting that resulted in the shooting victim losing consciousness and crashing into a parked FedEx vehicle. The April 8 shooting and subsequent crash happened on W. Acacia Avenue near S. Gilmore Street, at the Villa Del Sol Mobile Estates.
In a written press release, Hemet Police Lt. Eddie Pust said the shooting was the result of a “civil dispute” involving a vehicle; however, he did not go into further detail or explanation about the nature of the dispute.
City of Hemet Police and Fire personnel rushed to the scene of the shooting and accident Saturday evening, about 11:30 p.m., after several people called 911 to report hearing shots fired in the area. Within minutes, 911 dispatchers received another call reporting that a pickup truck had just crashed into a parked vehicle in the same area where the shots had been heard.
Police and medical personnel work together to treat the injured man. John Strangis photo
Police officials arrived in the area within minutes and quickly located a white pickup truck that had crashed into a parked FedEx vehicle in the 2200 block of W. Acacia Avenue. After finding the wrecked pickup truck, officers determined the driver, who was later identified as Baily, had crashed after losing consciousness from being shot.
Several officers immediately began to provide the shooting and crash victim with first-aid, while other officers switched from conducting an accident investigation to investigating the shooting incident.
During their investigation, officers determined that 55-year-old Bruce Baily had gone to the mobile home park to pick up a vehicle.
While at the park, Baily was confronted by 70-year-old Jeffery Michael West.
During the confrontation, as Baily was preparing to take the disputed vehicle, West went into his home threatening to get a weapon to shoot Baily.
“West came out of his residence brandishing a firearm (and) shot Baily as he was attempting to leave in his personal vehicle,” Pust explained.
Jeffery West was arrested after allegedly shooting a man during a “civil dispute” involving a vehicle.
After he was shot, Baily fled the location in his own vehicle, intending to drive himself to a hospital. Just a few moments later he crashed into the parked truck.
According to Pust, “As a result of blood loss from the gunshot wound, (Baily) lost consciousness and collided into a parked FedEx truck.”
Paramedics rushed Baily to Hemet Valley Hospital for treatment of the gunshot wound and injuries he received in the vehicle crash. He is expected to survive his injuries.
At the conclusion of their initial investigation, officers arrested West. He was booked at the Southwest Detention Center on a single count of suspicion of attempted murder.
“This is still an active and ongoing attempt murder investigation,” Pust explained, saying, “No further information will be released at this time.”
An online jail records search revealed West was being held on $1 million dollars bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at an unspecified court April 12.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation or who witnessed the shooting is encouraged to contact Hemet Police Detective Jeremy Green at (951) 765-2497.
ORIGINAL STORY
HEMET – Very few details have been released after a man crashed a pickup truck into a parked FedEx vehicle after he was shot late Saturday, April 8. The shooting and traffic collision happened in the 2200 block of W. Acacia Avenue in front of the Villa Del Sol Mobile Estates.
Medics prepare to load the victim onto a gurney. John Strangis photo
City of Hemet Police and Fire personnel rushed to the scene of the shooting and accident about 11:30 p.m., after several people called 911 to report hearing shots fired in the area.
Subsequent callers reported to emergency dispatchers that a pickup truck had just crashed into a parked vehicle in the same area where the shots had been heard.
Police officials quickly arrived in the area and located a white truck that had crashed into a parked FedEx truck on W. Acacia Avenue.
Officers determined the driver had been shot and several of the officers immediately began to provide first-aid to the victim. Other officers searched the area for the reported shooter and began to investigate the shooting incident.
Firefighter/paramedics and American Medical Response medics arrived after officers determined the area was safe for them to enter.
The victim’s truck sustained major damage in the crash. Gary Rainwater/Hemet News photo
Medical personnel evaluated and treated the gunshot victim before AMR medics rushed the man to an area hospital.
Officials have not released the extent of the victims injuries, how many times he was shot or his current medical status. Officials have also not specified if the victim was driving his vehicle when he was shot.
No suspects related to the shooting were identified or located and the investigation is still active and ongoing.
Hemet Police Lt. Eddie Pust has said more details will be released as they become available, possibly as early as Monday.
Anyone with information about this incident or who witnessed the shooting is encouraged to contact Hemet police officers at (951) 765-2400. Callers can remain anonymous.
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John Strangis video
This is a developing story. Additional information will be updated as it becomes available.
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.