Homicide detectives in Colton arrested a 17-year-old boy on suspicion of fatally shooting another teenager in the city last month, authorities said Thursday.

Officers found the victim, who was also 17 years old, suffering from at least one gunshot wound to his upper body when they responded to the 1600 block of East Washington Street on Jan. 5, according to police.

He was unresponsive at the time and died from his wounds, police said.

The teenager currently in custody was first arrested Jan. 24 in another case unrelated to the homicide, Sgt. Robert Wilson said. The other case is also a shooting but the victim survived.

Wilson said Riverside County prosecutors have filed an attempted murder charge against the teen in that case but are still reviewing the homicide case for potential charges.

He said authorities are not identifying the suspect since he is underage.

Shortly after the killing, police said there were several witnesses to the shooting, which occurred in a business complex. Wilson did not give details on whether those potential witnesses or other evidence led to the teen's arrest. But he said there was enough to take him into custody.

"It was a culmination of a lot of things that we were able to piece together," Wilson said.

He said police are releasing few details to protect the integrity of the investigation.

Anyone with information can call Detective Anthony Jaeger at 909-370-5028. Those wishing to remain anonymous can submit a tip by visiting WeTip.com or dialing 909-987-5005.

Colton police arrested a 34-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a child after a passing train struck his vehicle during a high-speed chase Thursday, authorities said.

Detectives identified Jesus Valencia Cruz as a suspect in lewd acts involving a child on Monday and obtained a warrant for his arrest, the Colton Police Department said in a news release.

On Thursday, around 4 p.m., detectives found him inside his vehicle parked on a street in Riverside, according to police. When they approached him, he fled at a high rate of speed, police said.

At one point, Cruz continued driving at a high speed and didn't stop for a train passing at the intersection of Marlborough and Chicago avenues in Riverside, police said. His vehicle collided with the train and got stuck in the railroad tracks.

First responders with the Riverside Fire Department responded and managed to remove Cruz from inside his vehicle and took him to a nearby hospital, police said. Investigators later booked him into West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of lewd acts involving a child.

Anyone with information is urged by police to reach Colton Police Department Detective Jamie Ramirez at 909-370-5021. Anonymous tips can be submitted here on WeTip.com.

Three Inland Empire women have admitted to fraud charges alleging they submitted dozens of claims for pandemic-related unemployment benefits using other people’s identities, including state prison inmates’, prosecutors said Monday.  

Each of the women received more than $350,000 in benefits and faces up to 30 years in federal prison as a result of their guilty plea, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Riverside said in a news release.

The three defendants — Paris Denise Thomas, a 33-year-old San Bernardino woman; Sequoia Edwards, 35, of Moreno Valley; and 42-year-old Mireya Ramos of Colton — were convicted on one count each of wire fraud, officials said.

The women applied for expanded unemployment benefits under the CARES Act, which extended eligibility to people who didn’t previously qualify such as business owners and self-employed workers. However, the pandemic relief law didn’t extend benefits to prison inmates.

California struggled to process the millions of claims submitted as businesses statewide were suddenly shuttered by stay-at-home orders. The state has acknowledged the Employment Development Department was bilked out of hundreds of millions of dollars that went to fraudsters, including inmates.

Thomas admitted in her plea agreement that she filed at least 47 bogus benefits claims from June to December last year after receiving the personal information of state inmates and others. She submitted the claims online under each stolen identity, falsely stating the person lost their job due to the pandemic, prosecutors said.

Thomas then allegedly sold for cash the electronic benefit payment debit cards and EDD website login credentials she received. She caused the disbursal of about $477,000 in fraudulent benefits, officials said.

Edwards admitted to using the information of inmates and others to file at least 27 fake claims last summer and took in the benefits up until March, garnering more than $456,000, prosecutors said.

Ramos, meanwhile, submitted around 37 false claims, also using personal information from inmates and others, from last June to December, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors say Ramos received around $356,000 in unemployment benefits.

Ramos is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 27, while Thomas’ sentencing is set for Sept. 13. Edwards’ sentencing will be scheduled at a later date, officials said.

An eight-year-old boy who was struck by an illegal firework during a Fourth of July party in Colton later died from his injuries, police said Monday.

The boy was injured on July 4 at an unofficial block party on the 500 block of South San Carlo Avenue, the San Bernardino Police Department said in a news release.

"Numerous illegal fireworks were discharged at the gathering, many of which were fired off from a mortar-style tube," the police statement said. "One of those illegal fireworks was ignited and somehow malfunctioned, striking the nearby eight-year-old boy and causing catastrophic injuries."

The boy was struck in the upper body, according to police, and was transported by a private vehicle to the hospital for medical treatment.

Officers were called to the hospital at about 10 p.m. that night.

The eight-year-old boy later died from his injuries.

Detectives have an active investigation into the boy's death underway.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to call Sergeant Hysen at 909-384-5659 or email hysen_ma@sbcity.org.

A pursuit suspect was shot and wounded by a deputy after a chase in Colton Wednesday night, officials said.

The shooting happened around 8:45 p.m. in the area of Sperry Drive and Fairway Avenue in Colton.

The incident unfolded after a deputy tried to stop a vehicle, but the driver did not yield, prompting a chase, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Olivia Bozek said.

"At the end of the pursuit a deputy involved shooting occurred," Bozek said in a statement. Officials didn't explain what prompted the use of force, and it's unclear whether the pursuit suspect was armed.

The suspect was struck by gunfire and received medical treatment, according to the Sheriff's Department.

No information was available on why the deputy initially tried to stop the vehicle.

An investigation is underway and no further details were immediately available.

A freight train derailed in Colton on Monday morning, a Union Pacific Railroad spokesperson said.

About 13 train cars and three locomotives derailed near 5th and K streets around 7:30 a.m., spokesperson Robynn Tysver said.

One of the train cars, carrying lumber, also caught fire but it was extinguished. The train crew was not injured, the transport company said.

A contractor who was helping with the clean-up efforts did get injured, but Tysver said the extent of their injuries are not known at this time.

The cause of the derailment is under investigation. The Colton Police Department and San Bernardino Fire Department were notified, Tysver added.

Check back for developing details.

A man who was shot in a car-to-car shooting in Colton on Thursday has succumbed to his injuries, the Colton Police Department announced.

The man, whose identity was not released, was shot at about 6 p.m. Thursday in the 1800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, and he died shortly before 5 p.m. Friday, police said in a news release.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective M. Sandoval at 909-370-5000.

Deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and officers from the Colton Police Department opened fire on an alleged bank robber in San Bernardino on Thursday afternoon, killing the person.

The incident began at about 3:45 p.m. as a pursuit of a bank robbery suspect after SBCSD deputies responded to an alarm at a closed bank in Grand Terrace, then CPD officers responded to a bank robbery in their jurisdiction, SBCSD spokesperson Mara Rodriguez said in an email.

Public Information Officer Huerta of the SBCSD said the Grand Terrace bank is located in the 22300 block of Barton Road.

Police and deputies pursued the alleged robber's vehicle to West Fifth Street and North D Street in San Bernardino, where the pursuit ended, Rodriguez said.

Aerial footage from Sky5 showed that a dark-colored compact car collided with a County of San Bernardino truck near that location.

The alleged robber "was armed and opened fire on law enforcement personnel," Rodriguez said.

Witness Na Chan told KLTA the weapon the alleged robber was "pulling a rifle, so they end up shooting the guy."

Chan's account was corroborated by SBCSD spokesman Jeff Allison, who said "the suspect produced a rifle and fired rounds at our deputies and officers."

Officers and deputies returned fire, and though it remains unclear who fired the shot or shots that struck the man and how many times he was struck, he was pronounced dead at the scene, Rodriguez said. No one else was hurt.

Multiple gunshots could be heard on video recorded by Chan.

The name and age of the person who was killed has not yet been released.

The investigation is ongoing, and no further information was available.

A homicide investigation is underway after two people were found dead in a crashed vehicle in Colton early Thursday, police said.

The incident was reported around 12:20 a.m. in the 800 block of South Pine Street.

Responding officers found the victims inside a crashed vehicle, but only one appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound, police said.

Both victims, who have not been identified, were pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not say how the other person died.

The incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call Detective Carrillo at 909-370-5000.

A campus security officer has been arrested after he was discovered to have had an inappropriate relationship with a student at Slover Mountain Continuation High School.

Colton resident Jonathan Ray Calderilla, 35, was arrested Friday and faces a charge of contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sex crime, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office announced in a press release.

Calderilla, who was placed on administrative leave last month by the Colton Unified School District, is accused of sending "inappropriate text messages to the minor," authorities said.

He is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail, and investigators believe that he could have other victims.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Wendy Winegar at 909-890-4904.

Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or leave information on the We-Tip website.

Authorities released more information Friday about the accidental shooting that claimed the life of an off-duty Colton Police officer.

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office, Lorenzo Morgan called 911 around 2:45 p.m. Thursday from the National Trails Highway in Oro Grande.

"Morgan told dispatch he was on the side of the road in his vehicle and had accidently shot himself," the office said in a news release. "Deputies and medical personnel arrived on scene and located Morgan inside his vehicle with a gunshot wound to his lower extremity."

Morgan, who had only recently completed his field training with the Colton Police Department, was transported to a local hospital where he died from his wounds.

No foul play is suspected.

"Officer L. Morgan was a beloved father, friend, colleague, and a caring officer who loved working for the Colton Community," the police department posted on Twitter late Thursday. "He is survived by his parents, fiancé, son and soon to be born son."

Morgan, who was identified as an Apple Valley resident by the Associated Press, started his career in law enforcement at the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Academy in April 2019 and graduated in September 2019, the department said.

He completed his field training with Colton Police in May 2022.

Authorities are asking for the public’s help in the unsolved killing of a Riverside County man in 2021.

The victim, Julian Evans, 24, from Corona, was found near the 14000 block of North Bordwell Avenue in Colton on Oct. 2, 2021, according to Colton police.

When officers arrived at the scene, Evans was pronounced dead.

No suspect information is available and authorities are asking for the public’s help in solving Evans' murder.

Evans' vehicle is described as a dark gray, four-door 2007 Mercedes Benz.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Detective Jaegar or Sargent Vega at 909-370-5000 and reference case number 21-05456.

A 33-year-old man was killed in Colton early Saturday morning by a 19-year-old hit-and-run driver who was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to the Colton Police Department.

The unidentified victim was found suffering from blunt force trauma in a roadway near the intersection of West C Street and Pennsylvania Avenue at 1:25 a.m. He was declared dead at the scene, police said in a news release.

Investigators learned 19-year-old Christopher Roman was driving westbound on C Street when he hit the pedestrian and fled the scene, police said.

Roman was found nearby and arrested on vehicular manslaughter charges. He was booked into the West Valley Detention Center, and inmate records show he faces additional charges of hit-and-run causing death or injury and DUI causing bodily injury.

He is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail, and he is due to appear in San Bernardino Superior Court on Wednesday.

Any information or witnesses to the traffic collision are encouraged to contact the Colton Police
Department at 909-370-5000.

Police are investigating after a body was found near railroad tracks in San Bernardino County on Wednesday.

Authorities first received reports of a body found in the 100 block of West Valley Boulevard in Colton around 3 p.m., said Colton Police.

When officers arrived, they discovered the body had been partially buried and covered under debris.

The victim’s identity has not been released at this time.

Detectives along with the San Bernardino County Scientific Investigations Division and the San Bernardino County Coroner’s office responded to the scene.

No suspect information was immediately known and the case remains under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Jaeger at 909-370-5000.

A man was arrested Thursday for allegedly killing another driver during a road rage shooting in Riverside earlier this month.

The suspect was identified by the Riverside Police Department as Jose Juan Escobedo, 64, of Colton.

Police allege Escobedo shot and killed Sergio Oporto, 25, of Riverside, during a road rage incident on Feb. 3.

Authorities first received reports of a vehicle that collided with a tree along the 600 block of E. La Cadena Drive around 3:56 p.m.

When crews arrived, they found the driver, Oporto, with a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries on Feb. 10.

Police say the victim and his family were driving along E. La Cadena Drive when they encountered an aggressive driver, Escobedo, who appeared angry.

Escobedo continued following Oporto’s vehicle. As they neared the intersection of E. La Cadena Drive and Citrus Street, Escobedo pulled up alongside the victim’s car.

That’s when he allegedly pulled out a firearm and fired a single shot into Oporto’s vehicle.

The victim's partner and two children — a 4-year-old and a 3-month-old — were also inside the car.

The bullet went through the passenger side and over the seated 3-month-old child before fatally striking Oporto in the head, police said.

The other three passengers were treated for minor injuries, officials said.

Escobedo then fled the scene. Authorities later tracked him down using nearby security camera footage.

Escobedo was located at a Colton home where he was taken into custody. He was booked on charges of murder and attempted murder and is being held on $1 million bail.

The investigation remains ongoing and no further details were released.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Detective Richard Glover at 951-353-7134 or email RGlover@RiversideCA.gov. They can also contact Detective Bryan Galbreath at 951-353-7105 or email BGalbreath@Riversideca.gov.

Anonymous can be submitted to RPDTips@RiversideCA.gov.

A small business is devastated after a thief stole their work van and escaped with thousands of dollars worth of valuable tools.

Video captures the brazen theft early Monday morning. The suspect was caught on camera stealing a van from Air One Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing, a family-owned business in Colton.

The family is now struggling to work during their busiest season after being left without the necessary tools.

“I’m hoping everyone will look at his picture and some good citizen will alert the authorities,” said Trina Lozano, whose family owns the business. “He has big stretchers on his ears. He has an owl tattoo on his hand.”

Lozano said one of the business’ techs took the van home and parked it overnight in a quiet neighborhood on London Avenue near Victoria Street in Rancho Cucamonga.

Just before 6 a.m., Lozano’s husband received a GPS alert that the van was on the move.

“It was like five something in the morning, which we thought was odd,” she said.

When she checked the cameras that morning, she witnessed a shocking image.

I was like, ‘What?! That is not our employee,’” Lozano recalls. “I was sort of shocked. The van got stolen and that’s when we realized so I went and called 911.”

Based on the GPS tracker, the thief stops at a location in Rancho Cucamonga. This is where he presumably unloaded the thousands of dollars worth of equipment. He then left the ransacked van at the parking lot of a Legends Burgers restaurant on Base Line Road.

The thieves got away with most of the van’s tools and equipment including “a lot of our big plumbing equipment, drain cleaners and snakes,” Lozano said. “The damages pretty much are all to the locks and the ignition.”

The suspect also ripped off a dash camera and broke the window. Lozano estimates the losses at around $15,000.

The theft is a major blow to the small family-owned business during the summer season when they are typically the busiest. They generally receive calls for plumbing and air conditioning services around the clock this time of year.

Unfortunately, Lozano said this isn’t the first time they’ve been targeted.

“This big truck, we’ve had to put cages for the catalytic converters underneath because they’ve come in here,” she said.

Lozano is hoping the police will locate the suspect responsible soon to prevent another business from being targeted and devastated.

Anyone who recognizes the suspect or has information is asked to call Rancho Cucamonga police at 909-941-1488.

A family is grieving after a 7-year-old Southern California boy was struck and killed by a truck as he arrived for football practice.

Jayce Board was helping his mother set up for a cheerleading fundraiser on Thursday before heading to football practice at Colton High School in San Bernardino County.

When he exited his car and began crossing the street towards the high school, another vehicle came around and struck the boy in the road. He remained hospitalized for two days before he died on Saturday morning.

Community members, teammates and loved ones gathered outside Colton High School for a vigil on Saturday night to remember the young boy whose life was taken too soon.

Board was a member of the Colton Yellowjackets Youth Football League and those who knew him said he loved playing the sport.

"It's just hard to deal with," said Sonia Ramos, a family friend. "I've known the family for a long time. I've seen him grow up. It's just heartbreaking to know that this little 7-year-old boy got hurt just going to practice."

The family said police ruled the crash as an accident. The driver responsible may also be a parent of one of the boy's teammates, although that detail hasn't been confirmed, the family said.

“We want the family to know that we know what they're feeling and our hearts are with them,” said Nikki Villalobos, a vigil attendee. “Having lost our daughter, we know what it’s like to not have one of your babies with you, so we want them to know that our hearts are there, however we can support them during this time.”

A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help the Board family with funeral expenses.

A man was arrested for allegedly stealing $4 million dollars worth of computers in San Bernardino County on Monday.

The suspect behind the operation was identified as Julio Vieyra, 53, from La Puente, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Officers first received information regarding the theft of Lenovo computers from the Los Angeles area. The victim said the computers were taken “via fraudulent means” and tracking devices were being used to follow a driver with a tractor/trailer containing the stolen computers.

The tracking device showed the driver traveled to the City of Industry before heading to Colton. Authorities were able to intercept the driver in Colton and recover the stolen computers. The estimated retail value of the stolen merchandise was around $4 million, police said.

During the arrest, investigators learned Vieyra was the person who had arranged the pickup and transport of the computers. The stolen items' final destination was in Findley, Ohio, police said. Photos from the scene show the trailer was filled with large stacks of wrapped computer boxes.

Vieyra later “admitted to cutting the bolt seal of the trailer to identify its contents,” said LAPD. “He also admitted to ditching a tracking device prior to redirecting the computers to the City of Colton.”

Vieyra was arrested on charges of grand theft of cargo. The case remains under investigation.

Anyone with information regarding Vieyra or this incident is asked to call LAPD’s Commercial Crimes Division at 213-486-5920. The public can also call 1-877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.

A suspect was killed during a destructive pursuit in San Bernardino County on Thursday. 

Officers responded to reports of a stolen vehicle near Mt. Vernon and Johnston Avenue in Colton around 10:39 a.m.

Colton police spotted the vehicle, a 1999 red Ford Expedition SUV, and attempted to pull the suspect over. The driver, identified only as an adult male, refused to yield, leading officers on a chase.

The suspect drove northbound on Mount Vernon and eventually turned east onto 2nd Street in San Bernardino. 

As the suspect continued speeding away, he crashed into another vehicle that was exiting the 215 Freeway onto 2nd Street, police said.

After colliding with the victim, the suspect crashed into a nearby traffic signal pole. 

As officers approached the destroyed SUV, they discovered the suspect had been killed on impact, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The victim who was struck by the suspect was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The extent of their injuries was not released.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Colton Police Department at 909-370-5000.

A Colton man faces an attempted murder charge after police say he stabbed a Riverside man multiple times in the chest on Tuesday.

Ronnee Beasley, 35, allegedly attacked the 39-year-old victim just before 12:45 a.m., the Colton Police Department said in a news release.

When officers arrived to the scene in the 1000 block of South Mt. Vernon Avenue, they found the Riverside man had sustained numerous wounds to his upper torso. He was taken to a local hospital to be treated for the life-threatening wounds.

Beasley was arrested in the 800 block of East Washington Street and booked into the West Valley Detention Center under suspicion of attempted murder.

He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail on the attempted murder charge, as well as three separate $25,000 bonds on charges including driving with a suspended license and driving without a license.

He is due to appear in San Bernardino Superior Court on Thursday.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Anthony Jaeger or Sgt.Shawn McFarland at 909-370-5000.