Skydiver Killed In Perris Crash ID'd As 76-Year-Old Las Vegas Man

PERRIS, CA — The Riverside County coroner has identified a skydiver who died over the weekend in a Perris landing accident as a 76-year-old Las Vegas resident.

Richard Gonzales was pronounced dead at 11:49 a.m. Saturday, in a field near Case and Murrieta roads. The crash was reported at 11:36 a.m.

There were no signs of foul play, according to authorities, though the incident remains under investigation.

Further details about the skydiving accident were unavailable.

The incident follows a 2024 skydiving tragedy in Perris that left two mortally injured. In August 2024, a 28-year-old skydiving instructor and her student died after a hard landing caused by a “dust devil” or dust-filled vortex that the pair encountered.

Devrey LaRiccia, 28, of Menifee, was among those killed. She made an impact on the skydiving community, and her loss last year in the air accident left that tight-knit circle — and her loved ones — in mourning.

At about 2:37 p.m. Aug. 2, 2024, Riverside County sheriff's deputies were called to the 2000 block of Goetz Road in Perris regarding "an air emergency," according to Sgt. Wenndy Brito-Gonzalez.

Once at the scene, deputies found two people who were severely injured, the sergeant said.

The pair were hospitalized with serious injuries but later died.

LaRiccia worked at Skydive Perris as a tandem instructor and videographer. The business's manager, Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld, stated after the crash: "Eyewitnesses report that the tandem pair experienced a normal free fall and parachute deployment. All aspects of the equipment and skydive [were] normal without any reported issues until the landing sequence. While preparing for landing, the tandem pair hit disturbed air known as a 'dust devil'. The interaction with this sudden disturbed air caused turbulence and a hard landing for both individuals."

Read more about the 2024 crash here.