Suspects in killing of 78-year-old in Winchester arrested

Orange Vista High School substitute teacher arrested for alleged lewd act with a child

PERRIS – The Val Verde Unified School District was made aware of a possible incident Thursday, April 27, involving a student/ teacher relationship at Orange Vista High School. The Val Verde Police Department was immediately notified and conducted an initial investigation. This matter was forwarded to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for further investigation.

School in Perris committed a lewd act with a minor student.

Three men suspected of killing a 78-year-old man in Winchester were in custody Friday, May 5.

Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff Department’s Perris Station responded to the 28000 block of Whitaker Lane at 5:20 p.m. on March 6 regarding a welfare check. Upon their arrival, deputies found signs of forced entry, entered the residence and found the body of 78-year-old Robert Bettencourt with signs of trauma, Sgt. Ed Baeza said.

During the course of the investigation of Bettencourt’s killing, detectives identified the suspects, Clifford Franken, 54, of Hemet and Matthew Fromer, 50, and Kevin R. Hirsch, 46, both of Menifee. A fourth suspect identified as Joseph Michael Salvati, a 34-yearold resident of Moreno Valley, remains at large, Baeza said. An arrest warrant has been issued for Salvati who is considered “armed and dangerous,” Baeza said.

Baeza advised anyone who encounters Salvati not to approach and call 911 for assistance.

Anyone with information regarding this killing is asked to call Investigator B. Cline of the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777 or Investigator R. Barbie of the Perris Station at 951-210-1000.

Teacher arrested on suspicion of harassing students

City News Service

Special to Valley News

A 40-year-old teacher suspected of making inappropriate remarks and sending inappropriate text messages to two students was arrested Friday, May 5, in Lake Elsinore.

Just before 10 a.m. on April 28, a Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station school resource officer was sent to Ortega High School in the 500 block of Chaney Street after a 16-year-old student ac- cused the teacher, Ryan Campbell, of harassing her, Sgt. Wilfredo Collazo of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said. A 17-year-old student later echoed the 16-year-old student’s claims of harassment and an investigation revealed Campbell had made inappropriate remarks and sent text messages to both students during and after school hours. Campbell was booked at the Cois Byrd Detention Center on charges of annoying or molesting a child.

Gang task force arrests gang members with firearms and drugs

MURRIETA – Over the past several weeks, the Riverside County Regional Gang Task Force became aware of an event being held at a local sports bar involving a motorcycle club known to engage in violent crimes. The event was held Wednesday, May 3. The motorcycle club organizing the event meets the definition of a criminal gang per the California Penal Code. Curbing any criminal activity and ensuring the safety of the citizens of the city of Murrieta, the Murrieta Police Department and members of the Riverside County Regional Gang Task Force mobilized resources to provide high-visibility patrols throughout Murrieta in the evening

May 3. Over the course of the night, officers and deputies initiated several traffic stops that resulted in arrests or citations for numerous vehicle and penal code violations. As a result, the following arrests were made: Archie Gardner, 38, of San Bernardino; Brieon Russell, 41, of Murrieta; Christopher Neal, 40, of Norwalk; Arrit Ball, 45, of Arcadia and Edward Trueba, 33, of Murrieta. Several citations for vehicle code infractions were also issued, and a third handgun was taken with charges pending. The high visibility law enforcement presence and zero tolerance for criminal violations kept the community safe for the duration of the event.

Formed in 2006, the Riverside County Regional Gang Task Force aggressively combats criminal street gangs and the negative impact they present to our communities. The Murrieta Police Department currently has one sergeant and one task force officer assigned to the Murrieta/Temecula Gang Task Force region, along with two Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies and one California Highway Patrol officer

Anyone with information regarding this event is asked to contact Sgt. Tino Abbate at 951-461-6367. Submitted by the Murrieta Police Department.

Currently, the teacher involved has been released from employment by the Val Verde Unified School District.

After an extensive investigation, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department subsequently arrested the teacher in question and released this statement regarding the incident.

The following release by the Riverside County Sheriff’s department for additional information:

“On April 28, 2023, investigators with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit responded to the city of Perris regarding a lewd act with a child investigation. The investigation involved allegations that a substitute teacher at Orange Vista High

“The investigation found evidence that Rebekah BlackwellTaylor, a 22-year-old resident of Moreno Valley and substitute teacher at Orange Vista High School, committed a lewd act with a male student. Rebekah Blackwell-Taylor was subsequently booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on May 2, 2023, for annoying and molesting a child under the age of 18 and additional felony charges.

“This investigation is currently ongoing. Anyone with information regarding the details of this case is encouraged to call Investigator J. Oseguera with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at 760-550-8716,” the county sheriff’s department said.

Val Verde Unified School District encouraged individuals to keep the administration informed of any concerns one may have or report any suspicious activity on http://www.wetip.com.

The district said, “If you see something, say something.”

Submitted by the Val Verde Unified School District.

Pala Band of Mission Indians advocates for missing and murdered indigenous people

PALA – Robert Smith, chair of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, joined other tribal leaders Tuesday, May 2, at the California State Assembly to support May 2023 as Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Month.

“On behalf of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, we thank California Assemblyman James Ramos for helping to bring awareness to this terrible epidemic that is greatly affecting the indigenous population,” Smith said. “Shedding light on the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people throughout California and the United States is an important step in the right direction to generate change.”

For generations, Indigenous persons have struggled with high rates of assault, abduction and murder of women. In 2016, 5,712 missing and murdered indigenous cases were reported to the National Crime Information

Center. Homicide is the third leading cause of death for indigenous women between the ages of 15 and 24, and indigenous women face murder rates 10 times higher than the national average.

“California has the largest population of American Indians, and the sixth-highest death rate of indigenous women in urban cities,” Smith said. “We will continue to advocate for this vulnerable population and fight to bring them the justice they deserve.”

The Pala Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized tribe whose reservation is located along the Palomar Mountain range approximately 30 miles northeast of San Diego. The majority of the over 900 tribal members live on the 12,000-acre reservation, established for Cupeño and Luiseño Indians, who consider themselves to be one people – Pala. Submitted by Pala Band of Mission Indians.