BREAKING: CORONA: Norco armed robbery leads to hours-long standoff
CORONA – Details are still emerging after an armed robbery and hours-long standoff forced the evacuation of several residences Tuesday evening, May 16. The standoff happened on the 2600 block of Castle Rock Circle, north of Corydon Street and west of River Road, in Corona.
Riverside County Sheriff’s and Corona Police officials flooded into the neighborhood after deputies tracked the alleged suspect to a residence in Corona. John Nancy Casper/Casper News photo
The incident began just before 4 p.m., after a man allegedly robbed a pharmacy on the 2800 block of Hamner Avenue in Norco. According to officials, the suspect used a gun during the robbery.
After deputies began investigating the armed robbery, they developed leads and gathered information that led them to the Corona residence; however the man reportedly refused to communicate with officials or exit the residence.
“We have possibly identified the suspect’s whereabouts and we have contacted our SWAT team, ” Riverside County Sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Michael Vasquez told reporters earlier in the evening.
As deputies and Corona police officers surrounded the home and established a perimeter around the neighborhood, the normally quiet, residential cul-de-sac was quickly flooded with Riverside County Sheriff and Corona PD officials who converged on the neighborhood.
Sheriff’s officials deployed one of the department’s robots during the lengthy standoff. John Nancy Casper/Casper News photo
Members from the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team, Hazardous Device Team and Crisis Negotiators responded to the neighborhood to assist during the lengthy standoff.
Several specialized tactical vehicles also responded to the location, including armored tactical rescue vehicles from both the Riverside County Sheriff’s and Corona Police Departments, a Sheriff’s Mobile Command Center, and an armored battering ram.
During the standoff, officials reportedly deployed a robot and flash-bang grenades in an effort to coax the man from the residence.
As of 3:30 a.m., there were no official updates from the Riverside County Sheriff’s or Corona Police Departments.
This is a developing story. Additional information will be updated as it becomes available.
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John Nancy Casper/Casper News video
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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.
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