Nearly six years after a Homeland man was found fatally injured along Highway 74, Riverside County investigators say they have identified a suspect who was already behind bars on an unrelated case. David Starnes, a 46-year-old Hemet man, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of murder in the death of Jabulani Mensa Robinson.
The case had gone cold after investigators initially received little information, but authorities reopened it this year after new information surfaced. Investigators learned Starnes was already in California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation custody, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.
Starnes was transported into Riverside County Sheriff's custody in July before being arrested Sunday, August 2, the department said. CBS Los Angeles reported that deputies have not said why Starnes was already in custody or released additional details about the case.
The 2020 Killing Began With A Highway 74 Call
Deputies responded around 8:34 a.m. on September 2, 2020, to reports of a man down on Highway 74 just west of Highway 79 in Green Acres, an unincorporated Riverside County community. Robinson, 42, was found suffering from injuries sustained during an altercation with an unknown suspect and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Patch.
The sheriff's office said investigators extensively worked the homicide, but the trail eventually went cold before the case was reopened. The agency has not disclosed what new information led detectives to Starnes or described the circumstances of the alleged altercation.
Arrest Announced Without Motive Or Court Details
The sheriff's office says the investigation remains ongoing and that no additional information will be released for now. Anyone with information is asked to contact Master Investigator Sandoval at 951-955-2777, as detailed by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.
The announcement identifies Starnes as the suspect and says he was arrested for murder, but it does not outline the evidence, provide a motive or list a court date. An arrest is not a conviction, and Starnes remains presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the allegations in court.
