A man was pronounced dead after sustaining gunshot wounds in a Perris business parking lot, leading to the arrest of a Morena Valley man following a police pursuit through Riverside County, officials said. Deputies responded to the scene at the 1600 block of N. Perris Boulevard at about 12:16 a.m. on June 23, after an assault with a deadly weapon was reported, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.
Upon arrival, the deputies found the male victim with gunshot injuries, and despite their life-saving attempts, he was declared deceased at the site; the victim's identity is being withheld pending the notification of next-of-kin, the name of the deceased has not yet been shared with the public, air support units later located the suspect's vehicle at approximately 12:48 a.m. in the city of Beaumont. As reported by CBS Los Angeles, a pursuit ensued when the suspect, later identified as 46-year-old Ernesto Lopez Jr., refused to stop for law enforcement.
Lopez Jr. was ultimately detained in Hemet at the intersection of Florida Avenue and Acacia Avenue after a chase that included deputies and Beaumont police officers, Sergeant Jarred Bishop disclosed that Lopez Jr. is now booked on charges of murder and felony evading at the Robert Presley Detention Center, with no indications of additional suspects at large, as per the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.
The Central Homicide Unit has taken over the investigation while authorities actively seek information from anyone who might have insights into the circumstances of the crime - Investigator S. Denham of the Central Homicide Unit and Investigator Milian of the Perris Sheriff's Station have opened lines for tips.
