RIVERSIDE: Sex offender arrested on elementary school campus
RIVERSIDE — A sex offender who was being sought after allegedly cutting off his GPS ankle monitoring device was arrested after fleeing from officers, Friday, Nov. 24. The man was eventually apprehended by a police K-9 while hiding on the campus of an elementary school.
Officers arrested Gabriel Vasquez, a registered sex offender, after the man allegedly cut off his ankle monitor and fled from officers. RPD photo
After his capture, Gabriel Vasquez, 43, of Anaheim, was arrested for violating the terms of his probation and resisting arrest.
Riverside police officers responded to a residence on the 1700 block of Main Street in Riverside about 4:30 p.m., regarding a registered sex offender wanted by State Parole for cutting off his GPS ankle monitor.
After arriving in the area, officers were formulating a plan to contact Vasquez when they spotted him in the driveway of the Main Street residence.
Vasquez saw the officers approaching the home at which time he fled out the back of the property, across a dirt field and onto the campus of Fremont Elementary School at 1925 Orange Street.
Officers quickly established a perimeter and requested assistance from the department’s Air Support Unit and K-9.
After an extensive search of the school grounds, Riverside PD’s K-9 “Rocco” located Vasquez hiding in thick brush on the school campus and he was subsequently taken into custody.
Vasquez sustained minor injuries while fleeing from and then being taken into custody by officers and K-9 Rocco.
After his arrest, officers transported Vasquez to an area hospital for a medical clearance required for booking. After being medically cleared, Vasquez booked into Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.
An online jail records search revealed Vasquez remains in custody and is being held without bail on a parole hold and out of county arrest warrant.
Anyone with information regarding this incident and investigation is encouraged to contact Riverside PD officers at (951) 826-5700. Callers can refer to incident file number P17212169 and can remain anonymous.
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.