LAKELAND VILLAGE: Two men arrested after woman shot multiple times

LAKELAND VILLAGE — Authorities arrested two men, one of whom they allege was directly involved with the shooting of a woman, Monday evening, Oct. 23. The woman suffered “multiple gunshot wounds,” according to a sheriff official. The shooting happened near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Marie Drive in Lakeland Village.

The victim, who officials did not name, is expected to survive, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Brett Seckinger explained in a written press release after the shooting and investigation.

During a subsequent investigation, deputies detained two men, identified as 20-year-old, Elijah Lamaj Crayton and 27-year-old, Carnell Johnson Jr., for further investigation. Both men are Lake Elsinore residents.

Deputies later arrested Crayton for attempted murder and Johnson for a felony warrant for assault with a deadly weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to Seckinger. Both were later booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.

The investigation began about 7:30 p.m., after a deputy in the area on an unrelated incident “heard two gunshots followed by a volley of several shots,” said Seckinger.

As the deputy searched for the source of the gunshots, he spotted a vehicle fleeing from the area with its lights off and attempted to catch up to the vehicle.

Although the deputy briefly lost sight of the vehicle in a nearby neighborhood, he eventually located it parked in front of a residence in the 33000 block of Leeward Way, about one-quarter mile from the site of the shooting. Nobody was inside the vehicle, which Seckinger said had evidence inside it indicating it had been involved in the shooting.

Officials did not specify the type of evidence they located inside the vehicle.

The deputy called for assistance and additional responding deputies quickly established a perimeter in the area.

“At that same time, a call for service was made to dispatch regarding an adult female suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the area of Grand Avenue and Marie Drive,” Seckinger explained.

While deputies continued their investigation on Leeward Way, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire paramedics and American Medical Response medics responded to the scene of the shooting and treated the injured woman, before AMR transported her to an area hospital. Her injuries were described as non-life threatening.

The vehicle was seized as evidence and the investigation is active and ongoing.

Officials have not specified if any motive for the shooting is known. They have also not provided details regarding the multiple rounds the deputy originally heard fired from different weapons.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation or who witnessed the shooting is encouraged to contact Investigator Ferguson of the Lake Elsinore Police Department at (951) 245-3300. Callers can refer to incident file number F172960044 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

 

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.