Driver was DUI in Moreno Valley crash that killed 6-year-old girl
UPDATED: Friday, Feb. 5, 12 p.m., With victim update, arrest details, other information.
Originally Published: Thursday, Jan. 28, 11:50 p.m.
MORENO VALLEY, CALIF. — Authorities who are continuing to investigate the cause of a traffic accident in Moreno Valley Thursday evening, Jan. 28, have updated that a 6-year-old girl who was inside the vehicle when the crash happened and was critically injured has passed away from her injuries.
Officials also updated that the driver, Salvador Joseph Barnes, 44, of Moreno Valley, who is a convicted felon, was under the influence of alcohol when the crash occurred and has since been arrested on first-degree murder, DUI resulting in bodily injury or death, and other related charges.
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Deputies from the Moreno Valley Sheriff Station, along with Cal Fire-Riverside and other emergency personnel, responded to the intersection of Heacock Street and Ironwood Avenue at 6: 45 p.m., after receiving reports of a major injury traffic collision, according to Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Joe Narciso.
Deputies arrived within one minute of the dispatched call and found a pickup truck that had collided with a traffic signal pole.
Salvador Barnes, 44, of Moreno Valley, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after a DUI-related crash that killed a 6-year-old girl who was inside Barnes’ truck when he crashed into a traffic signal pole. RSO booking photo (L), Moreno Valley Matters photo (R).
The truck sustained massive damage, leaving both Barnes and a 6-year-old female passenger trapped inside the mangled wreckage.
Both occupants had to be extricated from the destroyed truck before they were transported to an area hospital, according to Narciso. He described the driver’s injuries as minor and the young girl’s injuries as major.
Based on the circumstances, members of the Moreno Valley Traffic Reconstruction Team responded and assumed the investigation.
“After further investigation, Barnes was placed under arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol and causing injury,” said Narciso; adding that prior to the child’s death Barnes was released from custody on bail.
Officials did not specify how or if Barnes and the 6-year-old victim were related.
As their accident investigation was continuing, officials learned that on Jan 31 the female passenger succumbed to her injuries and passed away at the hospital where she had remained in critical condition prior to her passing.
The young victim’s name has not yet been released.
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After the child’s death, officials obtained an arrest warrant for Barnes and he was taken into custody two days after the victim’s death, on Wednesday, Feb. 3.
Online jail records indicate that after his arrest, Barnes was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside for first-degree murder; where he remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail or bond.
Riverside Superior Court records indicate Barnes has an extensive criminal history in Riverside County with arrests dating back to 2000. His arrests included charges of being a convicted felon in possession of an unregistered firearm, being under the influence of drugs while carrying a concealed and loaded firearm, possession of controlled substances, battery on a spouse or cohabitant, and possession of marijuana for sale.
Anyone with information about this incident or who witnessed the deadly crash and has not yet provided a statement to authorities is encouraged call Deputy Galbreath of the Moreno Valley Sheriff Station at (951) 486-6700, or the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at (951) 776-1099. Callers can refer to incident file number MV210280239 and can remain anonymous.
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Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
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 30 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 18 grandchildren.
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