Pair nabbed driving stolen truck in Hemet
HEMET — A pair driving a stolen pickup truck chose the wrong day to drive through the city of Hemet earlier this afternoon, passing through just as countless officers and deputies were leaving the scene of an hours-long barricaded standoff that ended when the alleged gunman shot himself in the head.
The couple was stopped on Florida Ave. near Inez St., after deputies leaving the scene of the standoff received a LoJack notification that a stolen car was in the area.
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Deputies leaving the standoff reported the LoJack notification around 1:45 p.m., and
with countless city, county, and state law enforcement officers in the same area due to the lengthy standoff, officials were able to quickly locate the stolen pickup, described as a grey Toyota Tacoma.
Deputies and assisting Hemet PD and CHP officers conducted a high-risk, felony traffic stop and quickly detained a male driver and female passenger without incident. Although it was not immediately known if the pair was arrested, both were handcuffed and eventually led to waiting patrol vehicles.
See related: UPDATE: Hours-long standoff over after suspect shoots self – no officers injured during earlier gun battle
Traffic, which was already heavier than usual due to the armed standoff, quickly backed up nearly two miles on eastbound Florida Ave., but deputies managed to quickly clear the scene, easing some of the congestion.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information is available.
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Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of 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 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.
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 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 14 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.