The search for 61-year-old Frank Torres of Pauma Valley has taken a grim turn after deputies tracked a man wanted for questioning in his disappearance to a Temecula parking lot, where he died from what authorities say was a self-inflicted gunshot. Torres is still missing, and investigators are now treating the case as a homicide investigation.
How the case unfolded
Torres’ family reported him missing on Tuesday, and by Wednesday morning investigators from the Southwest Station had launched a formal search. Deputies soon found his vehicle abandoned near a park in Temecula, a detail that raised enough red flags for detectives to hand the case to the Central Homicide Unit, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators identified 66-year-old Derek Arnett as a person wanted for questioning in connection with Torres’ disappearance. The sheriff’s office said Arnett’s vehicle was located in the area of Wolf Valley Road and Wolf Valley Creek Drive and then followed into a parking lot off Pechanga Parkway, where the tense final encounter unfolded.
Standoff at Pechanga parking lot
Local outlets reported that deputies called in the sheriff’s Emergency Services Team and tried to negotiate with the man in the vehicle before moving in. When officers finally made contact, they found him with injuries consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot, according to MyNewsLA.
Deputies and Cal Fire paramedics attempted life-saving measures, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities later confirmed that Torres remained missing. As the situation played out, nearby schools were briefly placed on lockdown as a precaution while law enforcement worked to secure the area.
What investigators are asking
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone who might have seen Torres or has information about his whereabouts to step forward. Tipsters are asked to contact Central Homicide Unit Investigator Hernandez at 951-955-2777 or Southwest Station Investigator Mills at 951-696-3000, per the department’s release…