SAN JACINTO – A 38-year-old man suspected of beating his wife and then barricading himself inside his San Jacinto home, where he allegedly
threatened to shoot deputies if they tried to enter, was behind bars today.
Raul Lucas Mendez was arrested and booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on Tuesday on suspicion of assault resulting in great
bodily injury, spousal abuse and being under the influence of controlled substances. He’s being held on $50,000 bail.
According to Sgt. Ken Hoon of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, at about 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, deputies were called to the 600 block
of South Rosario Avenue, near Seventh Street, to investigate reports of a domestic assault.
Hoon said the victim, whose identity was not disclosed, was outside the residence where the alleged attack occurred and spoke to deputies, who then
went to question Mendez in the house. However, the suspect “barricaded himself inside the residence (and) made multiple statements that he was armed and going to shoot deputies,” according to the sergeant.
SWAT members were called and surrounded the property, while a sheriff’s negotiator contacted Mendez, asking him to surrender peacefully.
Roughly three hours later, he did and was taken into custody without further incident, Hoon said.
Inside the house, deputies seized a handgun, ammunition and drug paraphernalia, Hoon alleged.
The victim did not require hospitalization, and Mendez was not hurt, nor were any deputies.
No background information was available on the suspect.
Copyright 2021, City News Service, Inc.
CNS-10-27-2021 11:14
