Man arrested for lewd acts at Menifee shopping center

MENIFEE — Authorities arrested a man they say approached multiple women and was seen looking into and trying to open car doors while asking them to engage in sex Saturday morning, Aug. 31. The alleged incidents happened in the parking lot of the Menifee Countryside Marketplace, near the intersection of Newport and Haun roads, according to sheriff’s officials.

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Deputies assigned to Menifee responded to the shopping center’s parking lot at 11:37 am, after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a man acting suspiciously and approaching women, Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Victor Pierson reported after the incidents and arrest.

One 911 caller reported an Asian man was approaching women inside the parking lot “asking them if they would engage in sexual intercourse with him,” Pierson explained. Callers also reported the man was seen looking into vehicles.

“An additional citizen called Riverside Sheriff’s Dispatch to report the same male attempted to open the door to her vehicle while she was inside of it,” said Pierson.

When deputies arrived, they quickly located and detained 31-year-old, Vincent Manuel Flores, of Menifee, in front of Kohls department store.

After interviewing the victims and witnesses, deputies determined “a violation of lewd conduct in a public place occurred,” according to Pierson. 

Vincent Flores was arrested after he allegedly approached several women and asked them to engage in sex. He was also seen looking into cars and reportedly tried to open one victim’s car door while she sat inside it. RSO booking photo

Based on their investigation, deputies arrested Flores and he was booked into Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta. Jail records indicate Flores remains in custody on $2,500 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at Murrieta’s Southwest Justice Center, Sept 5.

Anyone with information regarding this incident or who may have had a similar encounter and believes they were victimized by Flores is encouraged to contact Deputy Robert Wilson at (951) 210-1000 or by email. Callers can refer to incident file number ME192430046 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.


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.