UPDATE: Not guilty plea after Menifee road rage shooting

UPDATED: Thursday, Jan. 24, 12 p.m., With additional details of suspect’s arraignment.

MENIFEE — A felon who officials allege fired a weapon at two people during an apparent road rage incident in Menifee before leading officials on a short pursuit last week pleaded not guilty to numerous felony charges at his arraignment yesterday, Jan. 23. He is due back in court next month.

Last Friday’s incident, which reportedly caused Heritage High School to be placed on a brief “hold and secure” status due to heavy police police activity in the area, began near the intersection of Matthews and Palomar roads in Menifee. The incident ended without incident after the man fled from his car while armed with a rifle and was apprehended a short time later in the Salt Creek drainage canal east of Lindenberger and Simpson roads, near Sunrise Park.

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The alleged suspect, later identified as 26-year-old, Cain Avalos Linares, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and he is scheduled back in court at Riverside’s Hall of Justice for a felony settlement conference Feb 1. Superior Court records indicate Linares has a 2013 conviction for possession of drugs for sale.

Last week’s incident began shortly before 1:30 p.m., when deputies assigned to Menifee PD were dispatched to reports of a road rage incident involving a firearm, Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Moulton explained in a Jan 22 press release. The victims were not injured in the initially reported road rage.

Shortly after the call was broadcast, Menifee motorcycle units spotted the suspect’s vehicle heading eastbound on Highway 74 near Sherman Rd., about a mile away from where the road rage incident happened, according to Moulton.

Motor officers attempted to conduct an investigatory traffic stop, but Linares refused to yield and “began evading them at a high rate of speed,” at which time a pursuit was initiated.

The pursuit continued through the Heritage Lakes area of Menifee until the suspect went off-road in the Salt Creek drainage area near the intersection of Lindenberger and Simpson roads in an attempt to evade the motor officers.

Although the motor officer were unable to continue following the fleeing man because of the muddy conditions, they provided the location to responding deputies. Motor officers soon updated that Linares had abandoned his vehicle and was seen running through a field while carrying a rifle. 

Based on the circumstances, “deputies and officers from Region 3 (Hemet) Gang Task Force and Region 6 (Perris-Lake Elsinore) Gang Task Force, as well as deputies from the Perris Special Enforcement Team,” converged on the area, according to Moulton, and quickly established a perimeter around where Linares was last seen running. At some point while fleeing, Linares reportedly ditched the rifle he was seen running with.

Officials soon spotted Linares in the Salt Creek drainage canal east of Lindenberger Rd., and took the fleeing felon into custody without further incident.

Deputies eventually located and recovered the rifle Linares was seen running through the field with and during a subsequent search of his car they found “a stolen handgun, as well as other illegal items,” said Moulton.

Linares was booked into Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of two counts of assault with a deadly weapon using a firearm, possession of an assault weapon, criminal threats, being a felon and drug addict in possession of a firearm and ammunition, being under the influence while in possession of a firearm, and felony evading. Superior Court records indicate Linares was also charged with the sentence-enhancing allegation of discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle. Jail records indicate he remains in custody on $1 million bail.

Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to contact Menifee PD at (951) 210-1000. Callers can refer to incident file number ME190180089 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

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 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.