Hemet felon sentenced to six years after accidental shooting that left woman, 75, dead
UPDATED: Thursday, Dec. 16, 12:42 p.m.
Originally Published: Wednesday, Oct. 14, 4:26 a.m.
See Original Story below.
HEMET, Calif., — A Hemet man has been sentenced to six years in state prison for the fatal October 2020 shooting of an elderly Hemet woman. The 75-year-old victim died after being struck by a bullet inadvertently discharged while the man was handling a handgun and several other weapons in the victim’s garage, according to Hemet Police officials and court documents.
The suspect, a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing or handling any firearms and was found to be under the influence of methamphetamine and heroin, was detained at the scene and later arrested. At the time of his arrest, he told investigating officers that he was a caretaker for the victim’s adult son, described as a man in his 50s – who court documents indicate suffers from Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Although the shooting was ultimately deemed accidental, the man who fired the fatal shot, John Reza Jowkar, 37, of Hemet, made the situation worse according to his attorney, who has said his client failed to immediately call 911 or render aid to the mortally wounded victim, instead wasting several precious minutes attempting to hide the handgun that had discharged the fatal shot.
LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:
Corona family disturbance leads to fatal officer-involved shooting – Knife-wielding suspect ID’d
CHP officer saves child, 4, from woman who was trying to drown him in Yuba County canal
Riverside woman, 55, killed, juvenile seriously injured, in Jurupa Valley crash
Coachella two-vehicle crash leaves local man dead – Driver arrested for DUI
45 arrested during San Jacinto Quality of Life enforcement operation
As reported by RCNS at the time, City of Hemet police and fire personnel were dispatched to the victim’s residence around 1:30 p.m. after receiving reports of an elderly female suffering from a single gunshot wound.
Officers and paramedics began arriving at the scene within minutes and found a woman suffering from a critical gunshot wound. She was rushed to Hemet Valley Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries and passed away a short time later, Hemet Police Lieutenant Michael Arellano reported at the time.
The Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office later identified Janice L. Graves as the woman killed by the accidentally fired round.
“Investigators learned that Jowkar was in the garage, manipulating and disassembling several … firearms,” Arellano went on to explain after last year’s incident and arrest.
“One of those firearms inadvertently discharged and struck the elderly female victim,” he continued.
Based on their investigation, detectives arrested Jowkar and he was booked into jail on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, being under the influence of methamphetamine and heroin while in possession of a loaded gun, possession of narcotics, and other charges.
On Tuesday, Jowkar pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and possession of controlled substances while armed, with a sentence-enhancing gun use allegation. Per the plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office , Superior Court Judge Timothy Hollenhorst sentenced Jowkar to six years in prison.
Under the plea agreement, two of the originally filed felony charges were dismissed.
SEE ALSO: AN RCNS SPECIAL CHRISTMAS SERIES: Ongoing RivCo search intensifies as elusive elves spotted in neighboring Imperial County
“This was the most unique case I’ve ever seen,” Jowkar’s defense attorney Phillip Greenberg told City News Service after his client’s sentencing. “It was the perfect storm of circumstances that caused a really bad situation.”
Saying every second counted for the victim after she was shot, Greenburg explained that in the chaotic moments after the fatal shot was fired his client made several decisions that delayed paramedics’ response and may have ultimately led to the victim’s tragic passing.
“My client was under the influence of a controlled substance, and he panicked,” explained Greenberg. “Instead of going to the victim and trying to administer first aid or calling 911, he spent several minutes finding a place to hide the gun, then called the police.”
According to Greenburg, had Jowkar immediately called 911 and reported the shooting, “(emergency responders) might have helped her, saved her life.”
“That’s why he’s got to do the time,” he continued.
It was not immediately clear how long Jowkar had worked for the victim and her son, but Greenburg said his client “felt they were family”. He also said his client was “extremly remorseful” and described their relationship as “very close”.
Jowkar remains in custody in a Riverside County jail while he awaits transport to prison to begin serving his sentence.
Original Story: Felon arrested for involuntary manslaughter after accidentally shooting elderly Hemet woman, 75
HEMET, Calif., — Authorities say a felon was arrested after the fatal, accidental shooting of an elderly Hemet woman Friday afternoon, Oct. 9. The 75-year-old victim died after being struck by a bullet inadvertently discharged while the man was handling a handgun and several other weapons in the victim’s garage, according to officials who said that as a convicted felon, the suspect is prohibited from possessing or handling any firearms.
The man now charged in the woman’s death was a caretaker for the victim’s adult son – who reportedly suffers from Lou Gehrig’s Disease – and was under the influence of narcotics when the deadly incident occurred in the 700 block of Via Linda Drive, northwest of N. Sanderson and W. Menlo avenues.
LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:
Car stolen with toddler inside found in Cathedral City field
Gunfire at Riverside park leaves man shot in head, teen shot in hip
Videos disprove claims of police violence after Hemet car theft arrest
Hacksaw-wielding Canyon Lake man who tried to saw off mom’s leg arrested
Riverside officers & negotiator saved by tree when man tries to ram into them
City of Hemet police and fire personnel were dispatched to the victim’s residence around 1:30 p.m. after receiving reports of an elderly female suffering from a single gunshot wound, Hemet Police Lt. Michael Arellano has since said of the deadly incident and arrest.
Officers and paramedics began arriving at the scene within minutes and found a woman suffering from a critical gunshot wound. She was rushed to Hemet Valley Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries and passed away a short time later.
The Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office later identified Janice L. Graves as the woman killed by the accidentally fired round.
According to Arellano, the man who fired the deadly shot, John Reza Jowkar, 37, of Hemet, identified himself as a caregiver to the victim’s son and was detained at the scene for questioning by detectives.
“Investigators learned that Jowkar was in the garage, manipulating and disassembling several … firearms,” Arellano went on to explain. “One of those firearms inadvertently discharged and struck the elderly female victim.”
Based on their investigation, detectives arrested Jowkar and he was later booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, being under the influence of narcotics while in possession of a loaded gun, possession of narcotics, and other charges.
Online jail records indicate he remains in custody in lieu of $500,000 bail or bond.
Anyone with further information regarding this investigation is encouraged to call the Hemet Police Department at (951) 765-2400. Callers can refer to incident file number 20-7627 and can remain anonymous.
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.