Coachella stabbing leads to search warrant, arrest of local felon
COACHELLA, Calif., — Authorities say a local felon was arrested several days after allegedly stabbing another man late Saturday evening, Dec. 18. The stabbing, which left the victim with non-life-threatening knife injuries, happened in the 85-000 block of Avenue 52, between Hwy. 111/Grapefruit Boulevard and Education Way, according to officials.
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Deputies assigned to the contract city of Coachella were dispatched to the scene shortly after 11 p.m. after receiving reports of a stabbing, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Mariano Matos III reported this morning.
The victim, who was hospitalized after the violent encounter, told deputies he was stabbed by an unknown Hispanic male adult.
Hernan Bustamante Meza was arrested and booked on multiple felony charges related to a Dec. 18th stabbing in Coachella. Riverside County Sheriff’s Department photos
As their investigation continued, the Coachella Community Action Team (CCAT) developed leads and gathered information that led them to identifying Hernan Bustamante Meza, 30, of Coachella, as the man they say was responsible for the stabbing.
On Dec. 22, CCAT members, Southern Coachella Valley Community Service District Team members and the La Quinta Special Enforcement Team (SET) served a search warrant at a residence located in the 85-200 block of Cairo Street, in Coachella.
During the service of the search warrant, officials detained Bustamante Meza and located the knife reportedly used in the stabbing, according to Matos; who said a loaded, .38 caliber revolver and ammunition were also seized.
Based on their investigation, deputies arrested Bustamante Meza and he was later booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, being felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of an unregistered firearm.
Online jail records indicate he remains in custody in lieu of $25,000 bail or bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Indio Larson Justice Center on Dec. 27.
Anyone with any information regarding this investigation is urged to contact Deputy Camarena with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at (760) 863-8990, or Crime Stoppers at (760)341-STOP (7867). Callers can refer to incident file number Y213520054 and can remain anonymous.
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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.