Man who shot at victim and led deputy on pursuit arrested after crashing in Anza
ANZA — Officials arrested a man they allege shot at a person while driving in the area of State Route 371 and Homestead Road in the unincorporated community of Anza, Saturday, Nov. 11.
Adam Gray was arrested after allegedly shooting at a person and leading deputies on a vehicle pursuit in Anza.
The man, later identified as Adam Ryan Gray, 31, of Vista, was arrested after leading a deputy on a pursuit before crashing into a dirt embankment on Burnt Valley Road east of Kirby Road.
Gray was later booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center on suspicion of attempted murder and assault with a firearm, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant S.C. Burden explained in a written press release after the incident and arrest.
The investigation began at 5:13 p.m., when deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Hemet Station responded to the area regrading an assault with a deadly weapon call.
The victim told emergency dispatchers Gray fired a shotgun at them before fleeing from the area in a vehicle.
A deputy who was heading to the area regarding the call spotted Gray’s vehicle leaving the area.
The deputy attempted to stop Gray, however he refused to yield and accelerated away from the deputy, fleeing eastbound on State Route 371 through Anza.
As the deputy attempted to catch up to Gray, the fleeing man “exited State Route 371 onto Burnt Valley Road and turned on various dirt roads to elude the deputy,” said Burden. “During this process, Gray tossed a loaded shotgun out the window his vehicle.”
Gray eventually lost control of his vehicle and crashed into an embankment at Burnt Valley Road and Kirby Road, at which time the deputy held him at gunpoint until a California Highway Patrol officer arrived to assist taking Gray into custody.
After arresting Gray, deputies located and recovered the shotgun he had discarded while fleeing.
Gray later received a medical booking clearance for minor injuries he received when he crashed while fleeing.
An online jail records search revealed Gray remains in custody, held on $1 million bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, Nov. 15.
Anyone with additional information on this incident is encouraged to call Deputy Alejandro Garcia at the Hemet Sheriff’s Station by calling (951) 791-3400. Callers can refer to incident file number D173150047 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s Homicide Tipline 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.
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 27 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 14 grandchildren.