UPDATED: HOMELAND: Craigslist ad believed to have led to suspect’s fatal shooting by homeowner

UPDATED: Thursday, Oct. 26, 9 p.m. See original story below.

HOMELAND — A private, online advertisement a victim posted on a popular website is believed to have led to the fatal shooting of a man who witnesses say was killed after he robbed and beat a homeowner, Thursday afternoon, Oct. 26. The homeowner reportedly shot his assailant as the man attempted to flee from the scene of the burglary and robbery.

The incident, which resulted in one man’s confirmed shooting death, happened about 4 p.m., according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Armando Muñoz, of the department’s Media Information Bureau.

“Deputies received a report of a shooting in the 30900 block of Paradise Palms in the unincorporated community of Homeland,” Munoz explained in an email response requesting information. “We responded and located a vehicle which crashed into a home.”

When they arrived, deputies located a “male inside of the vehicle deceased,” said Muñoz.

Although sheriff’s officials would not provide any further details, citing the ongoing investigation, witnesses who spoke to the victim at the scene of the deadly shooting later explained the incident possibly stemmed from an advertisement the victim took out on Craigslist, which offered various jewelry and watches.

According to the witnesses, a black, male adult showed up just before the shooting happened, with the supposed intention of looking at and possibly purchasing one or more of the items.

When the victim of the robbery and beating, who has not been publicly named or identified, brought out and showed the items for sale to the man, he reportedly beat and then robbed him of the items.

At some point during the violent encounter, the victim told witnesses he managed to retrieve a weapon and fired at the man, striking him in the chest. The man who was shot was later identified as the deceased driver.

He was pronounced dead after being shot and crashing into another residence while fleeing from the location.

In the minutes immediately after the robbery and shooting was reported, witnesses described seeing a long line of sheriff’s vehicles – with lights flashing and sirens blaring – racing into the 55+ senior living community.

A sheriff’s helicopter was soon spotted circling overhead, as deputies quickly closed and cordoned off the neighborhood in an attempt to keep curious onlookers and others away from the active crime scene.

As the sun was setting and night was falling, witnesses at the scene described seeing an ever growing police presence as additional sheriff’s officials converged on the neighborhood where the incident happened.

Muñoz later explained, “The scene is active and our Central Homicide Unit is en route.”

The residence the fleeing vehicle plowed into sustained major, structural damage and was left uninhabitable after the crash.

According to other residents who live in the neighborhood where the shooting happened, there were two senior citizens inside the home that the fleeing car crashed into. Both sustained minor injuries such as scrapes and bruises and both were transported to an area hospital for valuation and treatment.

This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information becomes available.

See original story below images and videos.

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John Strangis video

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Miguel Shannon/Epicenter News video

 

ORIGINAL STORY: Officials investigating reported shooting after vehicle crashes into home

HOMELAND — Very few details have been released, but sheriff’s officials are at the scene of a vehicle that crashed into the front of a residence after a possible shooting. The accident happened in the Highland Palms Senior Estates, at the corner of Paradise Palm and Palmetto Palm Avenues, in the unincorporated community of Homeland.

Highland Palms is a 55+ community south of Highway 74, between Leon and Sultanas Roads, west of Hemet.

The investigation, which is active and ongoing, began earlier today, Thursday, Oct. 26.

Early and unconfirmed reports indicate the driver of the vehicle, which was described as a silver Mercedes-Benz, was shot by a homeowner while burglarizing a residence in the senior living community.

After being shot the driver, who has not yet been identified, tried to flee in the sedan. He reportedly lost control of the speeding car and plowed through a palm tree before smashing into the front of the manufactured home.

It is not yet known if anyone was inside the residence when the sedan crashed through the home’s front right corner, or if anyone from inside the residence was injured.

Jerry Weese, who witnessed the aftermath of the crash and is currently at the scene of the wreck and investigation explained online, “The driver tried to rob a house in the park and was shot by the homeowner.”

According to Weese and others who are at the scene, there are two people who were confirmed as injured; one with a gun shot wound. Multiple reports from the scene indicate that the driver who was shot is believed to have died.

A call for additional information from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has not yet been answered.

This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information becomes available.

 

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.