After More Than a Year At Large, Fugitive Wanted for the Attempted Murder of a Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy is Apprehended

RIVERSIDE – A fugitive wanted in connection with the attempted murder of a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy earlier this year has been apprehended in Mexico and returned to Riverside County to face charges filed by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

Martin Perez Jr., DOB 1/17/94, was taken into custody at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on Oct. 9, 2025, by members of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit (FAU) and Riverside County Gang Impact Team (GIT).

Perez, a U.S. citizen from Jurupa Valley, was wanted in connection with the attempted murder of a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy in the City of Jurupa Valley on May 14, 2024. Shortly after 6 p.m. that day, a Riverside County sheriff's motor deputy attempted a traffic enforcement stop on Wineville Ave. and Limonite Ave., Jurupa Valley. The vehicle failed to yield and entered a dirt access road adjacent to 68th St., west of Pats Ranch Road. Perez reportedly then began shooting at the pursuing deputy before entering dense foliage near the Santa Ana river bottom. During the pursuit, Perez abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot in an unknown direction. The initial pursuing deputy did not sustain any injuries during the incident. Investigators determined Perez fled to Mexico to evade arrest and prosecution.

FAU investigators, who are assigned to the U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, continued efforts to locate Perez with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service Mexico Investigative Liaison (MIL) program.

During the investigation, FAU developed information that Perez was hiding in the Mexican state of Nayarit and using various fictitious identities to avoid arrest. This intelligence was relayed to MIL personnel, who coordinated with Mexican authorities to plan to detain Perez. On Oct. 9, Perez was apprehended by Mexican authorities in the City of Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico, and has been returned to Riverside County to face charges.

The District Attorney’s Office would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the United States Marshals assigned to the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara and to the Fiscalía General del Estado de Nayarit (State of Nayarit, Mexico Prosecutor’s Office), whose efforts made the successful apprehension possible.

Perez is due in court for his arraignment in case RIF2401810 on Oct. 13 at the Hall of Justice in Riverside.