'Don't kill my daddy' - Video captures boy's frightened reaction as armed bounty hunters arrest man in Moreno Valley

EDITOR'S NOTE: We wanted to update a story we did recently about a man named Ricky Gory who was taken into custody in Moreno Valley by fugitive recovery agents on an outstanding warrant. In the original report, which featured video of the incident shot by one of Gory's children, we reported Gory had a lengthy rap sheet for all non-violent offenses. That was incorrect. He did have a conviction and an outstanding warrant for first degree burglary which is classified as a violent offense. He also had a conviction for possessing a loaded firearm in public. The recovery agency who took him into custody, says the level of force used was reasonable and necessary given those convictions and his fugitive status on multiple warrants.
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Video captures the moment several armed bounty hunters arrest a man as his children watch in fear just feet away from inside a car.

The incident occurred last Thursday at about 2:24 p.m. in the 16000 block of La Fortuna, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Ricky Gory had picked up his children from school when he pulled into the driveway. Witnesses say six bounty hunters rushed the car with guns drawn.

When Gory attempted to flee, he crashed into a tree and was taken into custody, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

The children - ages 12, 9, 6 and 1 - were still in the car. Video taken by the 12 year old shows video of the confrontation and arrest.



"Don't kill my daddy!" one child is heard screaming in the video.

"The bounty hunter has his gun on his chest, and he's cussing at me, telling me, 'Who else is in the f'ing house? Who else is in the car,'" Amari Snell Moore, 12, described.
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Brittany Snell, the boy's mother and Gory's girlfriend, says there was no reason for the bounty hunters to act that way and no reason for the takedown with the children in the car.

"It's unprofessional," Snell said. "It's just barbaric."

She says one of the bounty hunters told her they had been following Gory all day and made the arrest after he'd picked up the children from school. Gory has a lengthy rap sheet, all non-violent, nearly all traffic tickets for which he'd fail to appear.

In the video, he is heard saying he panicked because he didn't know who the men were.



"I think he pretty much was trying to get his kids out of harm's way," Brittany Snell said. "Once he realized who they were, obviously you see in the video he didn't resist."
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Gory is behind bars on a traffic warrant.

"I want him to come back," Amari said, fighting through tears.

No injuries were reported in the incident, according to authorities.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department confirms they responded to the situation, as did CalFire paramedics who checked out all the people involved for any possible injuries. Eyewitness News reached out to the bounty hunter firm and has not received a response.