Fatal Perris shooting, stand-off leads to arrest

March 22, 2020 Trevor Montgomery

PERRIS — Authorities say a Perris man was arrested after a deadly shooting that left a Moreno Valley man dead Saturday morning, March 21. The fatal shooting, which led to an hours-long stand-off in a residential neighborhood a few miles away, happened in an industrial area on the 100 block of Commerce Dr., northeast of N. Perris Blvd. and E. Rider St., in the city of Perris.

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Deputies from the Perris Sheriff’s Station responded to the industrial area just before 8 a.m., after receiving reports of a shooting, Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Carroll later reported. The area where the shooting happened features multiple businesses, including the Val Verde Teacher’s Association, Bayview Crematory & Burial Service, BMS Marine, and FleetPride.

When deputies arrived they located 24-year-old, Edward Pirtle, of Moreno Valley down in the roadway and suffering from a single gunshot wound, according to Carroll; who said despite life-saving efforts, Pirtle succumbed to his injury and passed away at the scene.

Deputies quickly cordoned off and secured the area as a crime scene at which time investigators from the Perris Station and Central Homicide Unit responded and assumed the investigation.

Juan Bucaro was arrested after officials allege he fatally shot Edward Pirtle, of Moreno Valley Saturday morning. He was arrested after an hours-long stand-off at a location a few miles away.

“Many resources from the Department came together including Patrol, SWAT, Aviation, Forensics, & Station & Homicide Detectives to investigate & find the suspect,” Sheriff’s officials later said in a social media release.

Within minutes, officials identified the suspect as 28-year-old, Juan Alberto Bucaro, of Perris, and with help from a sheriff’s helicopter found his car about two miles away on Water Ave., according to the release and online jail records.

SWAT members and other sheriff’s officials soon surrounded the location where Bucaro’s vehicle had been found and began negotiating with him to exit the home and surrender to deputies.

“Within a few hours, just before 3 p.m., Bucaro was taken into custody without a fight,” officials explained in their release, which also said the deadly shooting was not related to any criminal street gang activity.

After his arrest, Bucaro was transported to Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside where he was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder. Jail records indicate he remains in custody without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall of Justice, March 25.

Citing their ongoing investigation, officials have not released any known motive or what may have led to the fatal shooting.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to immediately contact Central Homicide Investigator Stoyer at (951) 955-2777. Callers can refer to incident file number PE200810020 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

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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.