Moreno Valley Man Arrested in Fatal Shooting of 17-Year-Old

Teen dies after shooting reported on Glorybower Street

MORENO VALLEY, Calif. — A 52-year-old Moreno Valley man has been arrested on suspicion of killing a 17-year-old in a shooting reported Thursday evening in the 13000 block of Glorybower Street, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Investigators identified the suspect as Manuel Gomez, a Moreno Valley resident. Sheriff’s officials said Gomez was taken into custody Friday, one day after deputies responded to the reported shooting.

The shooting left two teenage males wounded. Deputies from the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station were dispatched Thursday evening after receiving a report of an assault with a deadly weapon, authorities said. When deputies arrived, they found the two victims at a fire station, where they had apparently gone or been taken for help before being transported to a hospital.

A 17-year-old Moreno Valley resident died after reaching the hospital, sheriff’s officials said. Authorities have not publicly released the teen’s name.

The second victim, an 18-year-old Moreno Valley resident, was hospitalized with injuries and was reported to be in stable condition as of Saturday.

Authorities have not disclosed a motive

The Sheriff’s Department did not say what led to the shooting, whether Gomez and the victims knew one another, or what evidence led detectives to identify Gomez as a suspect. Officials also did not disclose the type of weapon involved or provide details about the circumstances in which Gomez was arrested.

The initial call was classified as an assault with a deadly weapon, but the case became a homicide investigation after the younger victim died at the hospital. The fatal shooting of a minor, along with the wounding of a second young adult, has made the case a significant violent-crime investigation for Moreno Valley authorities.

Gomez’s arrest does not by itself establish guilt, and sheriff’s officials had not announced formal charging information in the case. Decisions on whether to file criminal charges would be handled through the Riverside County prosecutorial process.

In a statement, the department said it would not release additional details while detectives continue their work. “This remains an ongoing investigation, and no further information will be released at this time,” the Sheriff’s Department said.

As of Saturday, Gomez was in custody, the surviving 18-year-old victim was stable, and investigators had not identified a motive or released further information about the Moreno Valley shooting.