Riverside man, 21, suspected in father’s brutal murder arrested after fleeing to OC in victim’s car

RIVERSIDE, Calif., — Authorities say a Riverside man, 21-year-old Jair Armando Vazquez, was apprehended in the Orange County coastal town of Newport Beach after allegedly beating his father to death and stealing his car Tuesday, Sept. 14. Officials have since reported that Vazquez, who remains in custody where he is being held in lieu of $1 million bail or bond, left his bloodied and beaten father’s body on the floor of the family’s living room for his mother to eventually discover when she returned home later in the day.

According to his social media accounts, the suspect, whose friends and those who know him say he has a background in boxing, claims to work for sports promoter Top Rank Boxing. A call to the Las Vegas, Nevada based company for confirmation today went unanswered. He also claims to work for media and news company ESPN FC; however, a representative told RCNS today that information could not be confirmed or released until human resources returns to work on Monday.

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City of Riverside police officers and paramedics with the Riverside Fire Department were dispatched to an apartment complex in the 8600 block of Arlington Avenue, between Ben Lomand Way and Rutland Avenue, around 2:35 p.m. after receiving reports of a “subject down”, Riverside PD has since said of the father’s murder and son’s subsequent arrest.

The frantic 911 caller told emergency dispatchers she had returned home and found her husband laying unresponsive and bleeding on the floor of their living room., according to the department.

“Unfortunately, the victim, 62-year-old Armando Vazquez of Riverside, was pronounced deceased at the scene by paramedics,” said officials.

Detectives with the department’s Robbery – Homicide Unit, along with specialists from the Forensics Unit, responded and assumed the investigation. They were assisted by the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office and Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

During their preliminary investigation, detectives determined the victim’s son, 21-year-old Jair Armando Vazquez, “physically assaulted his father that afternoon then fled in the victim’s vehicle,” according to officials.

Over the next several hours, detectives were able to identify the whereabouts of the suspect in the city of Newport Beach and with assistance from the department’s METRO (SWAT) Team and the Newport Beach Police Department, Vazquez was eventually located and arrested.

Online jail records indicate he was apprehended around 9 p.m., in the area of Coronado and E. Oceanfront streets.

The suspect was later booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of murder and second-degree robbery. He is scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall Of Justice on Oct. 1.

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Riverside PD’s investigation ongoing and officials have declined to specify what may have led to the deadly incident or provide any further details at this time.

Anyone with additional information regarding this homicide and arrest is urged to contact Detective Josh Ontko at (951) 353-7121 or [email protected], or Detective Dave Riedeman at (951) 353-7104 or [email protected]. Callers can refer to incident file number 210025360 and can remain anonymous. Those wishing to remain anonymous can also email [email protected] or utilize the Riverside Police Department’s mobile app “Submit a Tip” feature.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, 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.