UPDATE: Second victim dies after deadly Moreno Valley incident – One arrested

October 30, 2019 Trevor Montgomery

UPDATED: Wednesday, Oct. 30, 4:36 p.m., With additional details about second victim.

MORENO VALLEY — A second person has died as a result of being intentionally run over during a violent Moreno Valley incident that happened early Friday morning, Oct. 18. The first victim passed away the day of the attack, which occurred outside a business on the 24000 Block of Alessandro Blvd.

The alleged suspect was apprehended several days after allegedly running down the victims and he remains in custody without bail.

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Deputies from the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station responded to the business just after 2 a.m., after receiving reports of an assault with a deadly weapon, Riverside Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit Sgt. Rick Espinoza reported after the deadly incident.

“Deputies arrived at the scene and found two males suffering from injuries sustained after being struck by a vehicle,” explained Espinoza. “Both males were transported to a local hospital where they were attended to by hospital staff.”

Despite life-saving efforts, one of the victims succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. He has since been identified as 29-year-old, Junior Rafael Gonzalez, of Perris.

The second victim, later identified as Pedro Cortes Rodriguez, 39, of Moreno Valley, survived until Sunday, Oct. 27, when he passed away from injuries sustained in the attack.

As the sheriff’s investigation was getting underway, Central Homicide Unit investigators assumed the investigation and identified Edgar Ivan Gomez, 20, of Mead Valley as the man responsible for fatally running down the two men. He was located and arrested on Oct. 22, and booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, according to Espinoza.

Jail records indicate Gomez was arrested near the intersection of Day and Nance streets in Perris and was booked into jail on suspicion of first degree murder, second degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, and hit and run resulting in death. His next court date has been scheduled at the Riverside Hall of Justice Nov. 8.

The sheriff’s investigation is active and ongoing and officials have not released any further details.

Anyone with information or video regarding the incident is encouraged to contact Central Homicide Investigator Button at (760) 393-3531 or (951) 955-2777. Callers can refer to incident file number MV192910024 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s Homicide Tipline online form.

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Trevor Montgomery, 48, 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 or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; 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 29 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.