UPDATE: Yesterday’s death at sheriff’s training facility ruled suicide

April 18, 2019 Trevor Montgomery

UPDATED: Friday, April 19, 4:45 p.m.

See Original Story below.

RIVERSIDE — Sheriff’s officials confirmed today that a recruit was found dead at Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center in Riverside early yesterday morning. Although their investigation is ongoing, officials also said the victim’s death has since been determined to have been a suicide.

The training facility, which is located west of March Air Reserve Base, offers both full and part-time academies in basic and advanced career training for sworn deputies and officers, correctional deputies, public safety dispatchers, Homeland Security, law enforcement Explorers Scouts, and volunteer citizen patrol groups. The training center also offers basic and advanced courses in fire technology and a Master’s Degree program.

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In an email response to a request for information about yesterday’s death, sheriff officials told RCNS today, “We can confirm that our staff received a call regarding the death of a recruit yesterday morning around 5:30 a.m.”

Officials went on to explain that the suicide “occurred in a private setting,” and did not happen in public. The facility, which operates year-round, offers temporary housing for full-time academy recruits; however, it was not immediately known if the victim was living at the training center at the time of their death.

In their email response to RCNS, sheriff’s officials explained that the department typically does not publicize suicides; and they did not specify the manner in which the recruit died, how the person was found, or what course or position the recruit was attending the training facility for.

Officials also said the recruit’s identity is not available for release. It was not immediately known if coroner officials would be releasing any additional details or information regarding the victim’s death.

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The training center is located at 16791 Davis Ave., and is jointly operated by Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and Riverside County Fire Department; in cooperation with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, California State Fire Marshal, California Highway Patrol, and Riverside Community College.

ORIGINAL STORY: Officials investigating death at sheriff’s training facility

RIVERSIDE — Officials are reportedly investigating the death of a person whose body was found at Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center in Riverside earlier today, Thursday, April 18.

Although officials have not yet released any information about the victim’s death, sources familiar with the ongoing investigation have reported the person’s body was found early this morning on the large, multi-agency training facility. It was not immediately known how the victim passed away or if the person was attending one of the many courses or academies offered at the center.

The County’s primary public safety training facility, which is located at 16791 Davis Ave., offers a number of full and part-time courses in both basic and advanced law enforcement courses, as well as basic and advanced fire technology and other training courses.

RCNS has reached out to the involved agencies, which have not yet responded to requests for information or details about the victim’s death.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information is available.

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.