RIVERSIDE: Man who fired gun at nearby pedestrians and pointed weapon at passing cars arrested

RIVERSIDE — Officers arrested a man, accused of pointing a handgun at numerous passing vehicles and firing his weapon in the direction of at least two victims walking in the area, Wednesday, Oct. 11. The multiple incidents were reported throughout the downtown and Eastside areas.

The man was located and safely detained on a bridge overlooking 14th Street in Riverside. He was found to be in possession of two loaded weapons and narcotics, according to officials.

“Further investigation determined the suspect…fire(d) the weapon in the direction of two separate victims walking in this area,” said officials, who continued, “Fortunately, no one was injured.”

After their investigation, officers arrested Gilverto Calzada, 36, of Riverside. He was later booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of an unregistered firearm, shooting at an inhabited dwelling and possession of a controlled substance.

The investigation began about 5:26 p.m., when Riverside Police Department’s Communications Center received several 911 calls reporting a man who pointed a handgun at passing cars and pedestrians, according to an official social media press release.

While officers and aviation crew members in the Department’s Air Support Unit Air-1 responded to the area, emergency dispatchers received another 911 call from a citizen reporting that the suspect, later identified as Calzada, had parked his car on the Commerce Street bridge overlooking 14th Street.

An officer who was in the area quickly located the vehicle and assisted other officers in conducting a high-risk, traffic enforcement stop. Calzada was taken into custody without incident, according to officials.

During their subsequent investigation, officers located a loaded handgun, shotgun, and drugs inside Calzada’s car. Officials did not specify the type of narcotics they located; however court records indicated they located methamphetamine.

An online jail records search revealed Calzada remains in custody, held on $130,000. His next scheduled court date is set for Oct. 24, at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as 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, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries 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.