Curtis McDaniel, a 43-year-old resident of Perris, California, was tragically shot inside his home on September 16, 2017. Deputies responded to a call at approximately 10:15 p.m. and found McDaniel critically injured. Despite receiving immediate medical attention and being transported to a local hospital, McDaniel succumbed to his injuries a few days later. The investigation revealed that McDaniel was an unintended target in a gang-related shooting.
The perpetrators were reportedly searching for rival gang members in McDaniel's neighborhood when the incident occurred.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department conducted a thorough investigation, which led to the arrest of three suspects nearly a year later. On July 24, 2018, Lonzo Lee Ford III, 20, of San Jacinto, Jevante Terrell Stewart, 23, and Dameontae Wright-Patterson, 19, both of Hemet, were apprehended and charged with first-degree murder, along with firearm and gang-enhancement allegations. The suspects were believed to be members of a Hemet gang and were targeting rivals in the area when McDaniel was mistakenly shot.
Court documents and law enforcement reports indicated that McDaniel's son, who was incarcerated at the time, was a founding member of the gang sought by the defendants. However, there was no evidence to suggest that Curtis McDaniel himself was involved in any gang activities. The investigation uncovered that Ford and Wright-Patterson admitted their roles in the shooting, although their accounts differed. Ford claimed that he and Wright-Patterson were the shooters, while Stewart acted as the getaway driver. Wright-Patterson, on the other hand, stated that he fired into the air out of fear of Ford and Stewart.
The case against the three suspects progressed through the legal system, with all three being held without bail. Their arraignment was scheduled for August 7, 2018, in Riverside County Superior Court. The arrests and subsequent charges brought some measure of justice to McDaniel's family, who had been devastated by the senseless act of violence. The investigation highlighted the unintended consequences of gang violence and the tragic loss of an innocent life.
