Lake Elsinore business owner’s gunshot ends violent attack

June 7, 2020 Trevor Montgomery

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. — Already on felony probation for a prior assault, a Lake Elsinore man was arrested again after being shot during a violent attack on a woman and business owner Saturday afternoon, June 6.

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Deputies from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to a business in the area of Main and Graham streets around 12:30 p.m., after receiving reports of an unknown trouble, Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Veronica Amparano reported after the incident and arrest.

While deputies were heading to the scene, a 911 caller reported that a man had just violently attacked a woman. Emergency dispatchers then learned a shop owner intervened to protect the woman and had possibly shot the woman’s attacker.

Vincent Benton was arrested yesterday after he was shot by a business owner trying to protect a woman Benton was reportedly beating inside a Lake Elsinore business. RSO booking photo

When deputies arrived they learned the alleged suspect, since identified as 31-year-old, Vincent Lamont Benton, had already fled out the rear of the business.

With help from the Sheriff’s Aviation Unit, deputies soon located Benton in a residential neighborhood about a mile away, in the area of Pottery and Adobe streets, according to Amparano; who said deputies took him into custody without incident.

Benton was found to have a non-life threatening gunshot wound to his abdomen and he was transported to an area hospital for treatment of his injury.

During their subsequent investigation, deputies learned Benton had attacked a woman and “was seen repeatedly hitting and kicking the female inside of the business,” according to Amparano.

During the attack the business owner intervened in an attempt to protect the woman being beaten.

Although Benton stopped the attack and left the store, giving the business owner time to call 911, he returned minutes later, said Amparano.

When Benton came back into the business the store owner, who has not been publicly identified, told the victim to run to the back of the business to take shelter and then attempted to stop Benton from attacking her again.

“(Benton) pushed the business owner to the ground, located the female victim and began hitting her and kicking her as she was lying on the floor,” explained Amparano.

As Benton’s violent attack was continuing he reportedly armed himself with a metal object and began striking the female with it; at which time the store owner retrieved and brandished a firearm, “to try and stop (Benton) from hitting the female,” said Amparano.

When the enraged man turned his attack toward the business owner and was about to strike him with the metal object, the good Samaritan fired one round from his weapon; hitting Benton in the abdomen.

After being shot, Benton fled out the back door of the business.

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Based on their investigation, deputies arrested Benton and he was booked into Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon, second-degree robbery, battery, and making criminal threats. He was also booked on a felony probation violation.

Online jail records indicate Benton remains in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail or bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at Murrieta’s Southwest Justice center June 10.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to call Deputy Verostek or Investigator Alkire at (951) 245-3300. Callers can refer to incident file number L201580041 and can remain anonymous.

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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.