Perris kidnapping leads to armed standoff, SWAT call-out – Felon arrested

July 8, 2020 Trevor Montgomery

PERRIS, Calif. — Authorities say a Moreno Valley felon who allegedly kidnapped a woman was arrested in Perris after an hours-long, armed standoff early yesterday morning, Tuesday, July 7.

The woman who was reportedly kidnapped was eventually rescued from a vehicle she was being held against her will in by the suspect; and deputies later recovered firearms, ammunition, extended high-capacity magazines, and narcotics inside the vehicle in which the standoff occurred.

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Deputies from the Perris Sheriff’s Station were alerted to the crisis around 12:30 a.m., after receiving a 911 call from a woman who reported she had been kidnapped, Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Staton has since reported.

The woman told emergency dispatchers the man who kidnapped her was armed with at least one firearm and was holding her against her will inside a vehicle in the city of Perris.

Heavily armed SWAT members, deputies, a K-9, and sheriff’s helicopter converged on the scene of yesterday’s early morning kidnapping, which ended with the arrest of a Moreno Valley man and the rescue of the reported victim. Perris Sheriff’s Station photo

Due the circumstances as reported by the victim, numerous deputies converged on the area and quickly located and stopped the vehicle in the southbound lanes of N. Perris Blvd., in front of a Wells Fargo Bank just north of Orange Ave.

“Deputies surrounded the vehicle and made numerous announcements to the suspect, requesting that he exit the vehicle and surrender,” explained Staton.

Despite his vehicle being surrounded, the suspect ignored deputies commands and refused to exit the vehicle, according to the Sgt.

With a Sheriff’s Aviation Unit circling overhead in Star-9, more deputies, a K-9 handler, and other officials continued arriving in the area and deputies at the scene reported seeing a man and woman inside the suspect’s vehicle.

Deputies soon had blocked the entire area, closing N. Perris Blvd in both directions as well as both directions of travel on Orange Ave.

While deputies continued trying to negotiate the man’s surrender, heavily armed Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau (SWAT) members responded to the location with several armored tactical rescue vehicles and other resources.

Witnesses later said that by around 1:30 a.m. SWAT members had moved in and surrounded the vehicle with their protective, armored vehicles; however the standoff continued.

About two hours after the initial call, at around 2:15 a.m., the suspect, who was later identified as Nathan Tatum, 40, of Moreno Valley, exited the vehicle and was taken into custody without further incident, according to Staton.

According to witnesses at the scene, a woman was also removed and brought to safety from the vehicle.

Contacted later for more information about how the victim managed to call 911, how she was originally kidnapped, and what happened to her while she was being held against her will, a sheriff’s Sgt. with the department’s Media Information Bureau cited the early and ongoing nature of the investigation and declined to provide any further details.

During a subsequent search of the vehicle, deputies recovered two firearms from inside the car – one of which was later determined to be stolen. They also discovered extended, high-capacity magazines with ammunition, cash, and a large amount of narcotics inside the vehicle.

Nathan Tatum, 40, of Moreno Valley, was arrested after allegedly kidnapping a woman in Perris early yesterday morning. RSO photos

Based on their investigation, deputies arrested Tatum and he was later transported to Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta where he was booked on one misdemeanor and twelve felony charges related to the incident.

Online jail records indicate Tatam was booked into jail on suspicion of kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, being a felon in possession of ammunition, possession of high-capacity magazines, and possession of methamphetamine, as well as several other related charges including gang and prior conviction enhancements.

He remains in custody in lieu of $500,000 bail or bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at Riverside’s Hall of Justice tomorrow, July 9.

The sheriff’s investigation is ongoing and anyone with further information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Deputy Hartert with the Perris Station’s Special Enforcement Team at (951) 210-1150. Callers can refer to incident file number PE201890001 and can remain anonymous.

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Perris Sheriff’s Station photos below.

Rudy Jaramillo/ SoCal Law Enforcement & Public Safety Community News Group photos and videos below.

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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.