For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau. The California attorney general has launched an investigation into whether Riverside County Sheriff's Department practices have violated civil rights, citing a sharp and "disturbing" rise in deaths in the county's jails, as well as allegations of excessive force and other misconduct. In a statement he sent to The Desert Sun, Bianco said the investigation came as a "shock" and described it as politically motivated. "We have absolutely nothing to hide and will be more than cooperative and accommodation with this investigation," Bianco said. Court records allege that Sheriff Deputy Michael Dean demanded that Plaintiff perform sexual acts. Press Releases Riverside County Sheriff, CA CivicEngage Press Releases Sheriff's Administration 8 Stories Posted on: February 6, 2023 Deputy Involved Shooting Reporting Deputy: Sergeant Wenndy Brito-Gonzalez File # MV230370177 Details: letter_to_ag_bonta_-_investigation_of_rsd4-2. The Riverside Sheriffs' Association tweeted, "It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Deputy Darnell Calhoun. Bonta said the Riverside County Sheriff's Dept. The District Attorneys Office declined to file charges against the deputies in Serranos death from a methamphetamine overdose after deciding that their actions were lawful. Bonta noted he assumed an investigation of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and accountability actions in connection with the Torrance and Bakersfield police departments. He was identified by the agency as Deputy Darnell Calhoun. Whether you have a loved one in jail or are worried about crime in your neighborhood, we all benefit when there is action to ensure the integrity of policing in our state.". Concern about inmate care in the countys jails is not new. Deputies arrived and located the female who had sustained several stab wounds. The Riverside County Sheriffs Hazardous Device Team responded to the location and took possession of the explosive materials. In order to take informed positions, we meet frequently with government, community and business leaders on important issues affecting our cities, region and state. Reporting Deputy: Sergeant Jesse Martinez File # C230610044 Details: . Lisa Matus heard about her son's death from her other son, who was also in custody. Desert - (760) 956-5001 Press Releases By Category. Critics of Riverside County sheriff welcome, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Critics of Riverside County sheriff welcome attorney general investigation, San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation presents its Black Rose Awards, Remains of 2 bodies found near Hemet; Temecula man arrested, Riverside County restaurants shut down by health inspectors, Feb. 23-March 2, Wicks Brewing Co. in Riverside closing after 10 years, The California attorney generals civil rights investigation, who helped form an anti-Bianco political action committee, State launches investigation into death rate in Riverside County jails, a California Department of Justice news release states, who was re-elected in 2022 with 61% of the vote, who didnt require jail employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, called on Bonta to investigate the sheriffs office, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco isnt backing down in second term, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, DA Mike Hestrin get 2 more years in office, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Biancos refusal to enforce coronavirus orders gets national attention, New group aims to oust Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco in 2022, Deputies wont be charged in restrained Jurupa Valley mans death, UC Riverside research center should be investigated, faculty and students say, After fire damages Riverside Community Players theater, publics help sought, Good news (and flowers) for Cellar Door Books in Riverside, Conditions for snowed-in Crestline mobile home park pretty bleak, 7 win 2023 Riverside County Educator of the Year awards, Dine 909: New restaurants coming to San Bernardino, Upland and Redlands, Tax filing deadline moves to mid-October for most Californians, Disneyland quietly removes controversial lyric from new parade soundtrack, Futuristic vaccine to prevent Alzheimers starts local trial, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. On February 25, 2023, at 10:37 PM, deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, assigned to the Cabazon Station, responded to the 49500 block of Seminole Drive, Cabazon reference a female screaming for help. The Riverside County Sheriffs Office wants to remind citizens of the dangers of illicit narcotics, many of which may contain Fentanyl. The Sheriff's Department described the deadly encounter in a news release: "On January 13, 2023, about 4:20 pm, Deputy Darnell Calhoun responded to the 18000 block of Hilldale Lane, in the unincorporated area of Lakeland Village, regarding an unknown trouble. "All Californians deserve fairness and respect from the institutions that serve them," Bonta said in a statement. This is the second Riverside County Sheriff's deputy to be killed in a shooting in a little over two weeks. Additionally, deputies found several thousand rounds of ammunition, a suppressor, explosive-making materials, and a stolen rifle. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. Unlike a criminal probe, the upcoming patterns and practices investigation wont target specific people or incidents, but take a broader look at how the department does its job. In September, the group also sent a letter to the attorney general and the county's board of supervisors asking for outside investigations of the deaths and to create a separate coroner's office to investigate them in the future. 03/23/2017 - Missing Children Located. He is right about that. This investigation is ongoing. Headquarters . Press Releases. An inmate died early Thursday morning at the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta. The deputy was rushed to Riverside Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Riverside County, CA riversidesheriff.org Joined June 2012. Most people being held in the county's five jails are awaiting trial. Ernie Serrano, 33, a longtime drug addict, fought with a security guard at a Stater Bros. market in Jurupa Valley on Dec. 16, 2020. Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates. 4 min read As President Biden escalates his administration's efforts to. We will be completely open, honest, and share everything we can with our community throughout this investigation because we have serious concerns that Bontas DOJ will not.". MENIFEE The Riverside County Sheriff's Department released footage from body-worn cameras Saturday that shows two deputies shooting to death a 37-year-old man who was armed with a handgun after a pursuit on the 215 Freeway.. Juan Miguel Bejar was wanted in connection with a shooting that occurred in Ventura County on May 2, according to Riverside County sheriff's officials. "As part of my offices ongoing efforts to support constitutional policing, the California Department of Justice is opening a civil rights investigation into the Riverside County Sheriffs Office. That's the same number that triggered an investigation by the California State Auditor of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department in 2021, which found that a county oversight board was lacking and, in part, recommended the attorney general's office expand its role there. If you are interested in a career with us, please apply . This is an active investigation and no additional details are currently available. This is as opposed to a criminal investigation into an individual incident or incidents, a pattern or practice investigation typically works to identify and, as appropriate, compel the correction of systemic violations of the constitutional rights of the community at large by a law enforcement agency. The Attorney General's office noted that Bonta is authorized to conduct civil investigations into whether a law enforcement agency has engaged in a pattern or practice of violating state or federal law. Information and evidence discovered during the subsequent investigation led investigators to arrest Raymond Tyrrell, 18 years old out of French Valley for murder. Reporting Deputy: Sergeant Deirdre Vickers File # F230130025 . 03/23/2017 - Missing Children. RIVERSIDE SHERIFF PRESS RELEASE - On February 3, 2023, deputies from Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station responded to the 21000 block of Grand Avenue, in. A Riverside County Sheriff's deputy was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Jurupa Valley Thursday afternoon. A veteran with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department was shot and killed in Jurupa Valley Thursday afternoon by a career criminal who later died following a chase with law enforcement,. That coalition included Corona-based Starting Over Inc. Starting Over is grateful that the families who have lost loved ones to violence and neglect from the Riverside County Sheriffs Department will see some oversight from the Department of Justice, Avalon Edwards, Starting Over policy associate, said via email. 43.4K Followers. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco appeared in court in November to explain that Rivera was released because the county jail system was overcrowded with inmates who were sentenced to state. The name of the decedent is not being released at this time. The Riverside County Sheriff's Office wants to remind citizens of the dangers of illicit narcotics, many of which may contain Fentanyl. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department encourages anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Central Homicide Investigator Darryl Robertson at (951 . At a Los Angeles news conference, Bonta said the investigation is necessary because that trust between the county sheriffs office and the community it serves is in peril., In a YouTube video, Bianco, a Republican who has been sheriff since 2019, accused Bonta, a Democrat, of a staging political stunt to appease an anti-law enforcement activist base for their support when he announces his run for governor.. If you are interested in a career with us, please apply at joinrsd.org or call 1-888-Join-RSD, Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Checkpoint. Non-Emergency Dispatch. 12/06/2016 - PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF LARRY JONES. For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau. The guard tased Serrano to no effect. In Sept 2021, the ACLU wrote a letter to the AG calling for an investigation on the Riverside County Sheriff's Dept. Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that a civil rights investigation is being opened into Riverside County Sheriff's Department (RSO). Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines, EEO Report | FCC Applications | Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Daily News Headlines Hopefully this investigation is just the beginning of accountability in the deeply troubled Riverside County Sheriffs Department. Upon arrival, deputies found Cameron Trask, a 43-year-old male, unresponsive in a bathroom stall. The editorial board and opinion section staff are independent of the news-gathering side of our organization. During the course of the investigation, attorneys and special agents at the California Department of Justice will work diligently to consider all relevant information, including from community members and organizations, local officials, oversight entities, RSO, and individualdeputies. Kathy Nigro's son Michael Vasquez, 20, died mere days after being arrested. For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau. The California attorney general's civil rights investigation into the Riverside County Sheriff's Department provides long-overdue oversight and accountability for the county's largest law enforcement agency, say frequent critics of the department and its elected leader, Sheriff Chad Bianco. Riverside County sheriff's deputy killed; suspect dead after pursuit A Riverside County Sheriff's deputy wipes his eye as he stands near the corner of Golden West Ave and Condor Drive in Jurupa Valley Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022 following the fatal shooting of a deputy near the area. During Thursday's press conference, Bonta expressed his condolences to those who have lost loved ones in the county's jails. Press Releases A A Special Investigations Bureau 2 Stories Posted on: February 1, 2023 Operation Reclaim and Rebuild 2023 Reporting Deputy: Sergeant Jeff Hammond File # N/A Details: During the week of January 23, 2023, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office participated in Operation Reclaim & Rebuild. The sheriff's news releases, however, had announced. A Riverside County sheriff's deputy died Thursday morning from complications of the coronavirus, the latest sign of how law enforcement is being hit hard by the outbreak. For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau. More:ACLU joins calls for outside investigation of deaths in Riverside County jails, More:Riverside sheriff failed to report inmate deaths to state on time; names of dead made public. The California attorney generals civil rights investigation into the Riverside County Sheriffs Department provides long-overdue oversight and accountability for the countys largest law enforcement agency, say frequent critics of the department and its elected leader, Sheriff Chad Bianco. Deputy Calhoun was later pronounced deceased.". Berkeley-based Prison Law Office, which aims to protect the rights of inmates, filed a class-action lawsuit in 2013 that demanded the county improve health care for inmates. Concealed Weapon Permit (CCW) Press Releases. Lake Elsinore Station Posted on: February 28, 2023 Lewd Acts With a Child. If you are interested in a career with us, please apply at joinrsd.org or call 1-888-Join-RSD, Possession of Stolen Property/Recovered Stolen Vehicle. News Channel 3 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. Upon arrival, they located an adult male and female juvenile unresponsive due to a suspected Fentanyl overdose. Investigators with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department have identified the suspect as Jesse Navarro, 42-year-old resident of Lake Elsinore. This shooting comes a little over 15 days after another Riverside County Sheriff's deputy was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Jurupa Valley. (File photo by Andrew Foulk, Contributing Photographer), In an image from a Riverside County sheriffs deputys uniform-worn camera video, deputies hold down Ernie Serrano after placing a mask on him to prevent him from spitting on them at the Stater Bros. in Jurupa Valley on Dec. 15, 2020. Michael Lujan, a 31-year department veteran who commanded the Lake Elsinore station, has paid a filing fee and received paperwork to run for sheriff, according to Registrar of Voters Rebecca Spencer. The agency announced the deputy is in serious condition. Prior to working in the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Calhoun spent two years working for the San Diego Police Department, the Riverside County Sheriffs Office shared. On Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at 7:04 PM, deputies from the Southwest Station responded to the a residence in the 35000 Block of Sugar Maple Street in French Valley reference an overdose. On Friday, November 15, 2019, at 5:50 PM, deputies from the San Jacinto Station responded to a call of an assault with a deadly weapon in the 100 Block of Jordan Ave in the city of San Jacinto. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and his wife, Denise Bianco, enjoy the Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, ceremony at which he was sworn in for a second term on the steps of the Riverside Historic Courthouse. Inmates complained about unsafe crowding, a lack of personal-care supplies and dirty jails. The agency confirmed a suspect is in custody. Contests & Promotions 1,072 Following. Palm Desert Station Posted on: March 3, 2023 Update - Fatal Traffic Collision. RIVERSIDE, Calif. (PRWEB) April 21, 2021 Court records show that on March 26, 2021 a civil lawsuit was filed naming the County of Riverside and former sheriff deputy Michael Dean, Riverside County Superior Court Case No. 09/29/2016 - Johnson County Sheriff's Office Updates Text Alert System on Website. Morning Forecast The deaths have been very tragic, and the circumstances as to how the drugs are making it into the jails are suspicious and deserving of further in-depth review, said Jeffries, the boards 2022 chairperson. He can be reached at christopher.damien@desertsun.com or follow him at @chris_a_damien. Other problems have surfaced through litigation, including warrantless raids on the properties of an elderly couple by sheriffs deputies which resulted in a six-figure settlement last year. There are no outstanding suspects and anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call Corporal Stavness or Investigator Birmingham at the Cabazon Sheriffs Station at 951-922-7100 or the Riverside County Sheriffs Department at 951-776-1099. The Coroners Bureau determined Trask died as a result of Fentanyl Poisoning and the case was immediately assumed by the Riverside County Sheriffs Office Overdose Death Investigations and Narcotics Unit (ODIN). In September 2021, a coalition of criminal justice reform advocates, including the ACLU of Southern California, called on Bonta to investigate the sheriffs office, citing concerns about access to mental and physical health treatment for inmates, COVID-19 protocols in jails, use of force by deputies and the rate at which homicides are solved. We are devastated to announce the passing of Deputy Darnell Calhoun who was killed in the line of duty this afternoon. When some communities dont see or feel they are being treated equitably by law enforcement, it contributes to distrust and hurts public safety. He added that he thinks county jails around the state are overloaded with inmates and being asked to hold people longer than local jails were designed to, due to decisions by state prisons. Homicide charges have been filed against Miranda and Mora and both remain in custody. The male was revived; however, the female was pronounced deceased by hospital staff. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Download the News Channel 3 app here. The announcement comes as 20 inmates have died in the county's jails since January 2022, often with the sheriff's department releasing scant information about the individuals and virtually no public discussion of how to stop further loss of life. Get the Gunzenhausen, Bavaria, Germany local hourly forecast including temperature, RealFeel, and chance of precipitation. On Friday, January 13th, 2023, Deputy Darnell Calhoun made the ultimate sacrifice." Booking # 202239734 Mora, Ramon (Last RSO booking-currently I/C with Bureau of Prisons). March 2, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media . Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriffs Homicide Tipline online form. He added that his department has not made any determination and said the investigation will be impartial. For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau. 655 East Third Street San Bernardino, California 92415-0061. the ACLU wrote a letter to the AG calling for an investigation on the Riverside County Sheriff's Dept. "I am honored and proud to receive this award from the men and women who place their lives on the line to protect Its approximately 3,500 inmates are dwarfed by San Bernardino's 5,000 and just shy of Orange County's 3,700. Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner 4095 Lemon Street Riverside, CA 92501 Phone: 951-955-2400; Government Websites by CivicPlus . Neighboring Orange and San Bernardino counties have not reported more than 13 and 15 deaths in a year, respectively. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. Get the monthly weather forecast for Gunzenhausen, Bavaria, Germany, including daily high/low, historical averages, to help you plan ahead. When some communities dont see or feel they are being treated equitably by law enforcement, it contributes to distrust and hurts public safety. From there, he went to Annapolis, Maryland, where he covered city, county and state government at The Capital newspaper before love and the quest for snowless winters took him in 2007 to Southern California, where he started out covering Temecula for The Press-Enterprise. This investigation is ongoing. 0:57. (Courtesy of Riverside County Sheriffs Department), Riverside County Supervisor Kevin Jeffries said the Board of Supervisors will be looking at options to seeking continuing improvements in preventing inmate deaths in the countys five jails. Hesperia. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco will hold a news conference at 9:00 p.m. in Wildomar. If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to call Investigator Mendoza of the Central Homicide Unit at (951) 203-2474 or Sergeant Pelato of the Hemet Sheriffs Station Investigation Bureau at 951-791-3400. A retired Riverside County sheriff's captain plans to run against Sheriff Chad Bianco in the June 7 election. Im greatly encouraged by the possibility and potential of justice, Riverside County Democratic Party Chair Joy Silver, who helped form an anti-Bianco political action committee, said Thursday, Feb. 23, the same day Attorney General Rob Bonta announced his probe. In the month of February, the Riverside County Sheriffs Office has seen an increase in jewelry thefts with similar circumstances. In an op-ed published in January of last year, Luis Nolasco at the ACLU of Southern California and Avalon Edwards at Starting Over Inc. documented a litany of problems at the Riverside Sheriffs Department, including: These kinds of problems have only continued to fester.