Alleged gunman arrested after fatal shooting of Hemet man, vehicle pursuit

HEMET, Calif., — Authorities say the murder of a Hemet man led to the swift arrest of another man, after the alleged gunman led officers on a short pursuit Friday, April 29.

The deadly shooting, which snuffed the life of 37-year-old Matthew Lunsford, a popular and well-liked produce manager at Hemet’s WinCo, happened in the East Hemet area of Dartmouth Street and Collegian Way, about a block from Hemet High School, according to officials.

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Deputies from the Hemet Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to the scene around 11:10 a.m. after receiving the report of a man found shot inside a vehicle, Riverside Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit Sergeant Richard Carroll has since reported.

When deputies arrived, they found Lunsford deceased inside his vehicle and several witnesses reported seeing a vehicle fleeing the scene at the time of the incident.

Witnesses have since told RCNS that the victim appeared to have been shot multiple times in the chest and face.

Bryan Goetter was arrested after allegedly shooting a man whose body was found inside his pickup truck in East Hemet on Friday. Miguel Shannon / OC Hawk News photos

Deputies put out a general broadcast to surrounding law enforcement agencies with the suspect’s description and vehicle information, and investigators from the Hemet Station and Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit responded and assumed the investigation.

As the homicide investigation was getting underway, CHP officers spotted the suspect’s vehicle and attempted to conduct an investigatory traffic stop, at which time the driver, 43-year-old Bryan Goetter, fled from officers.

After a short vehicle pursuit Goetter pulled over and was taken into custody without incident, according to Carroll.

Based on their investigation and witness statements deputies arrested Goetter, and he was later booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on suspicion of first-degree murder.

Online jail records indicate he remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail or bond.

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Officials have not said how or if the two men knew each other or what may have led to the fatal shooting, and citing the ongoing investigation, Carroll said no further information was available for release at this time.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to immediately contact Central Homicide Investigator Brown at (951) 955-2777. Callers can refer to incident file number D221190023 and can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 51, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and operates Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS). Both are stringer organizations, providing breaking news coverage and community interest stories for other mainstream media organizations throughout the two regions they serve.

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.