Shot in head, man in critical condition – one arrested

MORENO VALLEY — Authorities investigating the suspected car-to-car shooting of a driver say they located and arrested the alleged shooter after gunfire erupted on a Moreno Valley street Wednesday morning, Nov. 13. The shooting, which left a man critically injured with a gunshot wound to the head, happened on Perris Blvd., north of John F. Kennedy Dr., according to officials.

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Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies, along with other emergency personnel, responded to the scene at 8:51 a.m., after receiving reports of a single-vehicle, major injury traffic collision, Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Wallace Clear reported after the shooting.

Deputies arrived within minutes and found an SUV that crashed into a wall on the east side of Perris Blvd., according to Wallace.

Deputies discuss a car-to-car shooting that left one man in critical condition with a gunshot injuries to the head. Monique Jones photo

Officials quickly determined the adult male driver of the SUV “was the apparent victim of a shooting just prior to the collision,” Wallace explained. He was rushed to Riverside University Health System in Moreno Valley with life-threatening injuries, where he is listed in critical condition. The victim’s name has not been released.

An adult female passenger of the SUV was unharmed in the shooting and subsequent crash, according to Wallace. 

Officers soon flooded into the area and began an intensive, hours-long search for the person responsible for shooting the victim. Despite searching the area they were not immediately able to locate the gunman.

Based on the victim’s condition and life-threatening injuries, Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit and Moreno Valley Station investigators responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.

During their investigation, officials developed leads and gathered information that led them to identifying 40-year-old, Richard Dupree Coleman III, as the shooter.

Jail records indicate Coleman was arrested at 4 a.m., on Filaree Ave. in Moreno Valley. He was later booked into Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder, shooting at an occupied vehicle, discharging a firearm resulting in great bodily injury, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a silencer – all felony charges.

He remains in custody in lieu of $2 million bail.

During their investigation, officials called for the temporary closure of Perris Blvd., between JFK Dr. & Delphinium Ave. The roadway remained closed for several hours while investigators and others continued working at the scene.

Although witnesses later said the incident began at a nearby business and then turned into a car-to-car shooting, officials have not released any further details or information about how the incident began or what led to the shots being fired.

Their investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation or who witnessed this incident and has not yet provided a statement to officials is encouraged to immediately contact Central Homicide Investigator Loureiro at (951) 955-2777, or Moreno Valley Investigator Bowen at (951) 486-6700. Callers can refer to incident file number MV19317081 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, 48, moved in 2017 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 16 grandchildren.