LAKEVIEW: Sheriff’s volunteer reports shots fired at gas station, suspect arrested after crash

LAKEVIEW — One person is in custody and officials are investigating a shooting after a Sheriff’s volunteer reported shots being fired, Saturday evening, Jan. 13. The shooting happened at a Valero gas station, at the corner of Lakeview and Reservoir Avenues, in the rural community of Lakeview. The gas station is just south of Ramona Expressway.

Citing their ongoing investigation, Riverside County sheriff’s officials have released very few details, other than to confirm that they are investigating the shooting and one person has been arrested in relation to the incident.

Contacted by Loudlabs News the evening of the shooting, Riverside Sheriff’s spokesperson Deputy Vasquez said no deputies or department vehicles were struck by the gunfire; however, he was unable to confirm the shooting was a result of an altercation involving a Sheriff’s volunteer nor was he able to confirm what type of weapon was used.

The investigation began shortly before 10 p.m., when a Sheriff’s volunteer put out an emergency call for assistance after hearing shots fired in the area of the Valero gas station.

A crime broadcast sent out to all area law enforcement agencies indicated an unknown suspect had fired an assault-type rifle at the volunteer before fleeing southbound on Lakeview Avenue towards the community of Nuevo. The suspect’s vehicle was described as a dark-colored, full-size, pickup truck.

The emergency broadcast brought law enforcement officers from multiple jurisdictions racing to the scene of the shooting.

In an email response to a request for information about the shooting, Sheriff’s Media Information Bureau officials confirmed deputies had responded to “a report of possible shots being fired” and said authorities spoke to witnesses who believed that the shots had been fired from a pickup truck before the vehicle fled the scene.

“We received a second report of shots fired and officers located the suspected vehicle in the area of Lakeview and Nuevo,” said the official. “Prior to initiating an enforcement stop, the vehicle accelerated and struck a power pole.”

After smashing into the pole the truck overturned, coming to rest on its roof. The impact sheared the pole off at its base, causing power lines to sag dangerously close to the ground.

The crash happened about ten minutes after the initial reports of gunfire, just south of the intersection of Lakeview Avenue and 12th Street, in the community of Nuevo.

Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire and AMR responded to the scene of the wreck where they evaluated and treated two occupants from the truck for unknown injuries.

AMR eventually transported the two occupants to an area hospital for further evaluation and treatment. Officials did not specify the nature or extent of their injuries.

According to sheriff’s officials, the driver who crashed the truck was taken into custody; however they did not provide the suspect’s name or what charges he was arrested for. An online jail records search yielded no additional information.

While deputies investigated the shooting and crash, the Valero gas station was closed to business and cordoned off with crime scene tape. Officials also called for the temporary closure of parts of a nearly three-mile section of Lakeview Avenue, between Ramona Expressway and Nuevo Road.

Southern California Edison employees later responded to the scene to replace  the destroyed pole and assess the damaged power lines.

Other than the occupants of the truck, no citizens or law enforcement officers were injured as a result of the incident, according to officials.

“The details of the incident are still under investigation at this time… and the investigation is ongoing,” said officials.

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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.