A 24-year-old Mentone man is being held on $1 million bail after police say he chased down his ex-girlfriend's car, rammed it outside a church, crashed into an uninvolved driver, and then ditched his vehicle near a middle school before officers tracked him to his home. Giovanni Efrain Pelayo now faces suspicion of attempted murder, domestic violence and vandalism following the sequence of events that unfolded across Redlands.
According to the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, the confrontation began in a parking lot in the 1700 block of East Lugonia Avenue, where Pelayo found his ex-girlfriend sitting in a car with a friend. Police say he argued with the two women and tried to force his way into the vehicle before jumping onto the hood and damaging it. As reported by Banning, CA Patch, the Redlands Police Department is asking anyone with information or who witnessed suspicious activity connected to the incident to call police dispatch at 909-798-7681, extension 8.
A Chase That Crossed the City
Pelayo reportedly pursued his ex-girlfriend and her friend as they tried to drive away, according to the Daily Bulletin's account. Police said he rammed their car with his own near the Redlands Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Fifth Street. From there, according to police, he collided with another vehicle on Reservoir Road. The driver of that vehicle was not injured, Redlands police spokesperson Carl Baker said, and neither the ex-girlfriend nor her friend was hurt in the pursuit, Baker added.
The same account notes that Pelayo then abandoned his car near Moore Middle School, in the 1500 block of East Highland Avenue. Officers eventually found Pelayo at his home in Mentone and took him into custody.
Charges and Bail
Pelayo was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, domestic violence and vandalism, the station's report states.
After his arrest, Pelayo was booked into the San Bernardino County Central Detention Center in San Bernardino, per the same account from Banning, CA Patch. The facility, located at 630 East Rialto Avenue, opened in 1971 and processes more than 20,000 inmates annually, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
That figure is not arbitrary. Under the San Bernardino Superior Court's uniform countywide bail schedule, adopted under Penal Code Section 1269b(c), the standard preset bail for an attempted murder charge under Penal Code 664/187 is set at $1,000,000. Prosecutors will need to prove Pelayo took a direct step toward killing another person with specific intent, a standard that distinguishes attempted murder from reckless assault or felony domestic violence charges, according to the Huff Legal. Under Penal Code Sections 664 and 187(a), a conviction could bring life in state prison with the possibility of parole if the act is found to be willful, deliberate and premeditated, or 5 to 9 years in prison for second-degree attempted murder.
Domestic Violence Resources in the Inland Empire
The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office notes that victim advocates help guide domestic violence victims through prosecution. Option House operates a 24-hour crisis hotline at 909-381-3471 for domestic abuse victims in the county.
Redlands police continue to investigate the multi-location sequence of events, and it remains unclear whether additional charges may follow as the case moves through the court system.
