Oasis teen arrested after Mecca man, 28, found murdered
MECCA, Calif., — Authorities say an Oasis teen was arrested for the murder of a local man, who lifeless body was found in the 91800 block of Avenue 66 in Mecca early Monday morning, Feb. 7.
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Deputies from the Thermal Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to the scene shortly after 3 a.m., after receiving the report of an unresponsive male down on the ground, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Ed Baeza later said of the murder investigation.
When deputies arrived, they located an adult male victim “with trauma to his body consistent with a homicide,” Baeza explained.
The victim, since identified as Gabriel Cervantes, 28, of Mecca, was pronounced deceased at the scene, and investigators from the Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit responded and assumed the investigation.
As their investigation continued, officials developed leads and gathered information that led them to identifying a 16-year-old male, who was arrested on Feb. 8.
The teen, whose name was not released due to his age, was later booked into Juvenile Hall on suspicion of murder according to Baeza, who did not say what may have led to the victim’s murder.
The Sheriff’s investigation is continuing, and anyone with further information regarding their investigation is encouraged to contact Investigator Nicholas Jones of the Central Homicide Unit at (951) 206-1680 or Investigator Arnoldo Iniguez of the Thermal Station at (760) 863-8990. Callers can refer to incident file number C220380002 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s Homicide Tipline online form.
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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.