UPDATE: Arrest made in yesterday’s murder in Lake Elsinore – Victim ID’d
UPDATED: Monday, April 29, 11:45 a.m.
See Original Story below.
LAKE ELSINORE — Authorities investigating yesterday’s murder of a man whose body was found in the 200 block of W. Graham Ave, west of N. Spring St., have identified the previously unidentified victim and made an arrest of a suspect they allege was responsible for the homicide.
Sheriff’s officials have since identified Brayan Guzman, 24, of Lake Elsinore, as the victim. Guzman “was found to have significant trauma to his body,” officials reported in an earlier press release.
Victor Vega, 25, of Lake Elsinore has been arrested and charged in the murder of Brayan Guzman, 24, also of Lake Elsinore. RSO booking photo
“The Central Homicide Unit and Major Crimes Unit worked diligently to identify and locate the suspect,” Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Ramirez wrote in an updated press release late this morning.
“During the course of the investigation, a suspect was identified as Victor Daniel Vega, 25 years of Lake Elsinore,” the Sgt. explained.
As their investigation continued, officials served a search warrant in the 200 block of E. Prospect St., less than a half-mile from where Guzman’s body had been discovered. The suspect was detained and transported to the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station, where he was later arrested.
Jail records indicate Vega was arrested at 4:30 a.m., this morning and later booked into Cois Byrd Detention Center on suspicion of first-degree murder. He remains in custody and is being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at Murrieta’s Southwest Justice Center, May 1.
City of Lake Elsinore Mayor, Steve Manos, later thanked those involved in the murder investigation, writing on social media, “I was to express my gratitude to the Sheriff’s Department for quickly identifying and apprehending the suspect.”
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to call Investigator Stutler at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff Station Investigation Bureau at (951 245-3300 or Investigator Manjarrez with the Central Homicide Unit at (951)955-2777. Callers can refer to incident file number L191180035 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s Homicide Tipline online form.
ORIGINAL STORY: Unidentified Man found murdered in Lake Elsinore
LAKE ELSINORE — Authorities are hoping to quickly learn the identity of a man whose lifeless body was found in Lake Elsinore yesterday morning, Sunday, April 28. The victim’s body was discovered in the 200 block of W. Graham Ave., barely a block away from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station.
LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:
UPDATE: Homeland motorcyclist, 42, killed yesterday, ID’d
Deputies assigned to the Lake Elsinore Sheriff Station were dispatched to the scene less than two-tenths of a mile from the sheriff’s station about 10:30 a.m., after receiving reports of a man down on Graham Ave, Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Ramirez later reported.
“Upon arrival, officers located a deceased male,” Ramirez explained. “The male was found to have significant trauma to his body, and the crime scene was secured.”
Lake Elsinore Station and Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit investigators responded to the scene and assumed the investigation, interviewing area residents as well as other potential witnesses.
The victim, who remains unidentified at this time, has been described as a Hispanic male adult, approximately 20-30 years old.
Due to the ongoing investigation, Ramirez said no further information will be released at this time.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to call Investigator Stutler at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff Station Investigation Bureau at (951 245-3300 or Investigator Manjarrez with the Central Homicide Unit at (951)955-2777. Callers can refer to incident file number L191180035 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s Homicide Tipline online form.
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.