Crime & Safety
2 RivCo Men Arrested 1 Month After Fatal Drive-By Shooting
In late October, emergency responders arrived at a shots fired call on Harmony Lane in Riverside to find a 68-year-old man fatally shot.
RIVERSIDE, CA — Two men are in custody Wednesday in connection with a drive-by shooting in Riverside that killed a 68-year-old man.
The Riverside Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Unit identified 29- year-old Gabriel Molina of Riverside and 28-year-old Mark Anthony Valdez as suspects in the fatal shooting of Michael Rangel of Riverside, according to Officer Ryan J. Railsback, the Riverside Police Department's public information officer.
Riverside police responded at approximately 3:26 p.m. on Oct. 28 to the 8500 block of Harmony Lane regarding a shots fired call and upon their arrival they found Rangel, Railsback said. Paramedics from the Riverside Fire Department were called to perform life-saving measures and took Rangel to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
During the course of their investigation, detectives learned Rangel was in his front yard watering his lawn when he was struck by gunfire coming from a passing vehicle, police said.
Molina is a convicted felon who was out on $250,000 bail following his arrest in connection with a series of fast food restaurant armed robberies that occurred between June and December of 2022 in Riverside and Moreno Valley.
Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
While out on bail, Molina fled from the police at a high rate of speed and crashed his vehicle into a business, police said. He seriously injured his passenger in the crash and was illegally in possession of another firearm, police said.
Railsback said when Molina was arrested in connection with Rangel's death, he was in possession of another firearm.
Both Molina and Valdez were booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center. Molina was charged with murder and is being held on $1 million bail. Valdez was charged with accessory to murder and is being held on $10,000 bail.
Anyone who has information regarding this killing was asked to call Detective Stanley Hua at 951-353-7135 or SHua@RiversideCA.gov, or Detective William McGuigan at 951 353-7103 or WMcGuigan@RiversideCA.gov.
