One dead, one in custody after Lake Mathews shooting

August 19, 2020 Trevor Montgomery

LAKE MATHEWS, Calif. — Authorities say a man has been arrested in the shooting death of his roommate in a residential neighborhood in the unincorporated area of Lake Hills, north of Lake Mathews, Monday evening, Aug. 17.

The deadly shooting and arrest, which happened at a two-story home on the 17000 block of Canyon Creek Ct., between Lakepoint Dr. and La Sierra Ave., was the second murder investigated by Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station on Monday.

The other deadly incident involved a man who was fatally shot multiple times in a flood control channel under Van Buren Blvd. earlier in the day. No arrests have been made in that ongoing investigation.

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Deputies from the Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station responded to the scene around 11 p.m., to investigate the report of a shooting, Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Brosche later said of the deadly incident and arrest.

When deputies arrived, they found an adult male, later identified as 58-year-old Carl Gregory Small, standing in the front yard while armed with a firearm, Brosche described; saying, “Small dropped the firearm and was taken into custody without further incident.”

Sheriff’s investigators arrested Carl Small for the shooting death of 53-year-old Richard Mondragon in a Lake Mathews residential neighborhood on Monday. RSO booking photo

During a search of the residence deputies located 53-year-old Richard Mondragon critically injured and suffering from a gunshot wound. Deputies immediately began CPR and other life-saving measures and requested paramedics to the scene.

Mondragon was rushed to Riverside Community Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries and passed away, according to Brosche.

During their subsequent investigation officials learned Small was involved in a confrontation with Mondragon just before the deadly shooting. As the confrontation escalated, Small pulled out a handgun and shot Mondragon once in the upper body, according to Brosche; who said witnesses called 911 and reported the shooting.

Based on their investigation, officials arrested Small and he was later booked into Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of murder and discharging a firearm resulting in great bodily injury.

Online jail records indicate Small remains held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall of Justice Aug. 20.

SEE ALSO: Shot multiple times, man dies in Jurupa Valley flood control channel

Anyone with further information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Investigator Dickey of the Central Homicide Unit at (951) 955-2777 or Investigator Merrill at the Jurupa Valley Station at (951) 955-2600. Callers can refer to incident file number E202300013 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 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.