HEMET: Fleeing murder suspect apprehended just minutes from US-Mexico border

HEMET — A Hemet woman who officials suspect shot and killed her husband Monday, July 2, was apprehended in Imperial County, just 15 miles from the US-Mexico border. According to City of Hemet Police and Imperial County Sheriff’s officials, the alleged shooter was fleeing to Mexico when she was taken into custody.

The early morning shooting happened at a private residence on the 900 block of Silver Dust Trail, in Hemet. The suspect, later identified as 42-year-old, Beatriz Navarrete, was captured while driving southbound on Highway 111, about 150 miles southeast of where the shooting occurred.

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Hemet PD’s investigation began just before 6:20 a.m., when the City of Hemet Police and Fire Communications Center received a 911 call reporting that a man was shot at a residence northwest of W. Fruitvale and N. Sanderson Avenues. When officers arrived at the home they found the shooting victim.

The man, later identified as 41-year-old, Hector Navarrete, succumbed to his injuries and medical personnel pronounced him deceased at the scene, Hemet Police Lieutenant Eddie Pust later explained.

Based on the circumstances, Hemet PD’s Investigations Bureau responded to the scene and assumed the investigation. During their initial investigation detectives gathered information and developed leads that the victim’s wife was possibly trying to flee to Mexico in a black vehicle. Hemet PD provided other area law enforcement agencies with Navarrete’s vehicle description and license plate information.

Several hours later, Imperial County Sheriff’s officials spotted Navarrete driving southbound on Hwy. 111, toward the US-Mexico border.

Based on the information provided by Hemet PD, deputies and other Imperial County Sheriff’s officials conducted a traffic enforcement stop on the alleged suspect’s vehicle near Harris Road. She was detained without incident and later turned over to Hemet PD officials for questioning and further investigation.

Officials have not yet specified if Navarrete was arrested or booked on murder charges. An online jail records search indicated that as of 8 p.m., Navarrete had not yet been booked into jail.

Citing the active and ongoing investigation, officials from the two agencies explained no further information will be released at this time.

 

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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 several other news organizations, including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook, as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and The Mountain Echo in Shasta 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. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s 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.