UPDATE: RIVERSIDE: Officials arrest man wanted in murder investigation

July 27, 2017 Trevor Montgomery

RIVERSIDE — Authorities arrested a man who they say was responsible for the July 22 stabbing death of a Riverside resident. Riverside Police Department’s METRO (SWAT) Team arrested the alleged suspect Wednesday, July 26, in the city of Corona. He was arrested without incident, according to Riverside Police officials.

Riverside police officials arrested Frank Tornel July 26, for the July 22 stabbing death of Louis Lopez.

Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner officials later identified Louis Lopez, 35, of Riverside, as the victim who died after being stabbed. Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene of the stabbing at 12:50 a.m.

The deadly incident happened in the 6000 Block of Elenor Street, south of Jurupa and east of magnolia Avenues, in Riverside.

During their investigation, detectives collected evidence and gathered information they say implicated Frank Miguel Tornel, 32, of Riverside as the suspect who allegedly stabbed Lopez during the fatal encounter.

After his arrest, Tornel was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of Homicide.

The homicide investigation began July 22, at 12:36 a.m., when Riverside police officers responded to a residence on Eleanor Street in Riverside regarding the report of a stabbing that had just occurred outside a home.

When they arrived, officers found Lopez in the front yard of the residence suffering from a stab wound.

In spite of medical intervention and life saving efforts, Lopez succumbed to his injures and he was pronounced dead at the scene by Riverside Fire Department personnel.

Detectives from the Department’s Robbery – Homicide Unit, with assistance from evidence technicians from the Forensic Unit responded to the crime scene to assume the investigation. They are being assisted by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and the Riverside County Sheriff–Coroner.

Their investigation eventually led them to Corona, where they arrested Tornel.

Despite Tornel’s arrest, the investigation is active and ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation or who witnessed the deadly incident is encouraged to contact Riverside Police Detective Rick Cobb at (951) 353-7135 or Detective Karla Corbett at (951) 353-7134.

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.

s 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.