UPDATE: Two men arrested after Old Town Temecula shooting leaves Hemet father dead, two others injured

January 11, 2022 Trevor Montgomery

UPDATED: Tuesday, Jan. 11, 6:52 a.m., With additional details and arrest information.

Originally Published: Monday, Jan. 10, 5:36 p.m.

TEMECULA, Calif., — Authorities say one person was killed and two others were seriously injured in a shooting that happened in an outdoor dining area of the popular Bank Plates and Pours Mexican restaurant in Old Town Temecula Sunday evening, Jan. 9. The Bank, as it is commonly known to area locals, is located in the 28600 block of Old Town Front Street.

The man killed in the shooting, Desmond Dyas, 28, of Hemet, was a former employee at The Bank, and was reportedly visiting the restaurant to celebrate a recent promotion when an argument broke out between other patrons. Surveillance footage from the restaurant showed that after intervening in the argument and attempting to quell a further disturbance, one of the men involved in the confrontation opened fire, killing Dyas and wounding two others.

Unconfirmed reports from the scene indicate that although the alleged gunman initially fled after the shooting, he then returned and opened fire on Dyas again as he lay bleeding and dying on the ground.

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Deputies from the Southwest Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to the restaurant around 10:45 p.m. after receiving reports of a shooting that had just occurred, Riverside County Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit Sergeant Ben Ramirez has since said of the fatal incident and ongoing investigation.

When officials arrived, they found three subjects suffering from gunshot wounds, including Dyas, who succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the scene.

Witnesses have said that Desmond Dyas, 28, of Hemet, was fatally shot while trying to intervene in a fight at The Bank, a popular Mexican restaurant in Old Town Temecula on Sunday. Two other victims were shot and remain hospitalized. Dyas family photo

Medical aid was provided to two additional victims, a man and woman, who were transported to local hospitals for further treatment. Their names have not been released and their current conditions were not immediately available.

Deputies secured the crime scene and members of the Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit (CHU) responded and assumed the investigation.

During their subsequent investigation, CHU officials reviewed the restaurant’s surveillance footage and interviewed countless witnesses who helped them develop a timeline of what led to the fatal shooting – as well as who committed the murder.

Based on their investigative findings, officials identified Kevin Duane Hatchett Jr., 24, of Wildomar, and Nickolas Trichanh, 21, of Corona, as the men responsible for Dyas’ death. Both men were arrested the following day and were later booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.

Online jail records indicate Hatchet was booked on suspicion of murder and two counts of attempted murder, while Trichanh was booked on suspicion of being an accessory to murder.

Both men remain in custody, with Hatchet being held in lieu of $1 million bail or bond and Trichanh being held in lieu of $500,000 bail or bond. Both are scheduled to be arraigned at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

Kevin Duane Hatchett Jr., 24, of Wildomar, and Nickolas Trichanh, 21, of Corona, have been arrested for their roles in Sunday’s deadly shooting. RSO booking photo

Although she was not at the restaurant when the fatal shooting occurred, Amanda Lane, co-owner of The Bank, has since had the opportunity to review surveillance footage of the fatal shooting and in an interview with MSN News provided further explanation as to what led to the deadly encounter.

According to Lane, Dyas – who she referred to as “family” – stepped in to intervene after an argument broke out between the alleged gunman and another person.

“Desmond actually tried to intervene in the situation and calm everything down,” she explained; adding, “The situation seemed to be resolved before the suspect began shooting.”

The suspect “was laughing with him, patting him on the back. It seemed fine,” she went on to say. “And then, I can’t even tell you, like something flipped in his head. One second he was hugging Desmond the next second he shot him [multiple] times.”

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As reported by MSN News, Ceddrick Newton, who raised Dyas as his son, described Dyas as a devoted and loving father who doted on his 4-year-old daughter.

“His daughter was his world,” Newton told MSN; adding, “I don’t even know how I can look my granddaughter in the face right now, to even fathom to be able to tell her what’s going on.”

According to Newton, Dyas’ murder comes on the heels of the shooting death of his brother, Ceddrick Newton Jr., who was fatally shot in Hemet in 2018.

As reported by RCNS at the time, Ceddrick was tragically gunned down while trying to intervene in a fight that broke out in a residential Hemet neighborhood on Nov. 15, 2018. He was rushed to an area hospital with CPR in progress but died a short time later.

Two men were arrested in connection with that murder and the alleged gunman remains in custody in lieu of $3 million bail or bond as his court case continues.

As the sheriff’s investigation into Sunday’s fatal shooting continues, Dyas’ family has asked for the community’s prayers and support, with Newton saying, “We’re not good right now. We’re not good at all.”

Anyone with further information regarding this investigation is urged to immediately contact Investigator Horkel at the Southwest Sheriff Station at (951) 696-3000 or Investigator Manjarrez with the Central Homicide Unit at (951) 955-2777. Callers can refer to incident file TE220090140 can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s Homicide Tipline online form.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.

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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.