A 17-year-old Moreno Valley resident is dead and an 18-year-old is recovering in the hospital after the pair turned up shot at a local fire station, and investigators have now arrested a 52-year-old Moreno Valley resident in the area where the gunfire erupted. Manuel Gomez was booked on suspicion of murder after Riverside County Sheriff's Central Homicide Unit detectives identified him as the suspect in the shooting.
The case began Thursday evening, August 20, when Riverside County Sheriff's deputies responded to the 13000 block of Glorybower Street in Moreno Valley just after 6:36 p.m. on a report of an assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Deputies did not find any victims at that location. Instead, the two wounded teenagers were driven in a private vehicle to CAL FIRE Station 6 near Eucalyptus Avenue and Day Street, where fire personnel treated them before they were rushed to a hospital, according to Action Eye News LIVE.
Teen Victim Dies, Second Remains Hospitalized
The 17-year-old Moreno Valley resident was later pronounced dead at the hospital, while the 18-year-old victim, also from Moreno Valley, remained in stable condition, according to KTLA. Authorities have not released the identity of the 17-year-old victim. The death prompted the Central Homicide Unit to take over the investigation from patrol deputies.
Investigators tracked down Gomez the following day, August 21, locating him back on the 13000 block of Glorybower Street — the same block where deputies first responded to the assault call. The sheriff's department's case file, numbered MV262320316, shows Gomez was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center, the 1,100-bed county facility at 4000 Orange Street in downtown Riverside. Authorities have not released what may have led up to the shooting.
Investigators Seek Tips as Case Continues
The sheriff's department lists Central Homicide Unit Investigator Robertson and Moreno Valley Station Investigator Martinez as contacts for information. Robertson can be reached at (951) 955-2777, while Martinez can be reached at (951) 486-6700, per the sheriff's department. Authorities have not released additional details about what preceded the shooting or the exact relationship, if any, between Gomez and the two teenagers.
Because Gomez was booked on suspicion of murder, he faces significant exposure under California law. A first-degree murder conviction under Penal Code Section 187 carries 25 years to life in state prison, while second-degree murder carries 15 years to life, with additional sentencing enhancements possible for firearm use, according to the Law Offices of Randy Collins. Prosecutors would need to establish malice aforethought to secure a murder conviction. It remains unclear what charges the Riverside County District Attorney's Office will ultimately file.
A Pattern of Homicide Cases in Moreno Valley
Moreno Valley has seen a string of homicide investigations handled by the same Central Homicide Unit in recent years. In a case from earlier this year, investigators arrested 47-year-old Teesha Lucas on a voluntary manslaughter warrant tied to the April 2025 fatal shooting of 22-year-old Xavier Cox. The supplied reports do not provide details of additional cases.
