HEMET: Man arrested after fleeing from officers, ditching gun at shopping center
HEMET — A man who fled from a traffic stop and reportedly ditched a gun in some bushes inside a busy shopping center was apprehended and arrested Thursday evening, Apr. 5.
The incident began about 7:15 p.m., when City of Hemet police officials conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a gold Mazda sedan along the northeast corner of Sanderson and Florida Avenues in Hemet. After the car stopped a man fled from the vehicle on foot, with officers hot on his heels.
A Hemet PD Gang Task Force officer inspects a loaded weapon found tossed in a bush during a foot chase. William Hayes/OC Hawk News photo
According to witnesses, pursuing officers were able to take the fleeing man into custody near a business not far from the initial stop.
After apprehending the man, officers requested a K-9 to the scene to conduct an article search and the K-9 quickly located a handgun in the bushes near where the suspect had ran. Officials later determined the weapon was loaded when the suspect allegedly tossed it.
Two women who had been inside the Mazda remained at the scene inside the stopped vehicle and both were detained for further investigation. All three subjects were seen speaking with Hemet PD Gang Task Force members and the trio was reportedly transported to Hemet PD for further investigation.
It was not immediately known what charges the man might be facing and it was not known if the two women were arrested.
There were no injuries related to the incident or arrest.
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Trevor Montgomery, 46, recently moved to Shasta County from Riverside County and 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.