Man escaped hospital in Riverside 12 days before allegedly killing Army veteran
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- The family of an Army veteran who was gunned down in his front yard in Riverside is now questioning how his alleged killer was able to leave a hospital before he was taken to jail.
In October 2023, Michael Rangel, 68, was watering his lawn when he was struck by gunfire from a passing car, according to the Riverside Police Department. He was rushed to the hospital but he died shortly after.
The man accused of shooting him, Gabriel Molina, was arrested the following month and booked on murder charges.
According to new details from police, Molina managed to slip out of Riverside Community Hospital unnoticed 12 days before the killing.
Lengthy criminal history
When Molina was arrested in November 2023, police released information about his criminal record, saying Molina is a convicted felon and was in possession of a firearm when he was arrested for Rangel's murder.
Police said Molina was arrested before that for a series of armed robberies at fast-food restaurants.
Riverside Police Spokesman Ryan Railsback said the suspect's crime spree started in the summer of 2022 with an armed robbery at a Baker's restaurant in Riverside.
At the time, Railsback said they connected him to at least eight armed robberies in the months that followed, including one at a Del Taco near Arlington and Rutland avenues.
"When our detectives and our SWAT team actually arrested [Molina] they found a firearm on him at the time," Railsback said in November 2023. "Our detectives did request a bail enhancement of a million dollars. That was denied, and so his bail was put at $250,000 and it looks like a month or two later he was able to post that bail and get out."
Before that, on October 16, 2023, there was another encounter with Riverside police, who say they were trying to pull Molina over for a vehicle code violation when he took off and later crashed into Joe's Sushi near Magnolia Avenue and Van Buren Boulevard.
Police said he and a female passenger sustained serious injuries. Investigators said officers found a gun, ammunition, and illegal narcotics in his possession inside the car.
"He was injured enough where he couldn't be booked into jail. He had to be admitted into the hospital, but charges were filed on that," Railsback said in November 2023 about that incident.
He added that Molina left the hospital before he could be transported to jail.
Suspect slips out of Riverside Community Hospital
According to police, due to his injuries following the crash at Joe's Sushi, Molina was taken to the hospital where officers were told he would need to stay for a few days.
"Based on Molina's current charges at the time of the pursuit involving the gun and drugs, the severity of his injuries, length of time he would be hospitalized according to the hospital, and manpower needed to guard him the entire time, the decision was made to release him to the care of the hospital for medical treatment and file charges out-of-custody," said police in a statement sent to ABC7 on Tuesday.
Police said a few hours later, Molina somehow "left the hospital unknowingly" and the hospital immediately notified police.
"RPD responded and searched for Molina, but he was not located. Detectives filed charges and a warrant for his arrest for the possession of gun and drugs was subsequently issued."
Less than two weeks later, police say Molina was the one responsible for the shooting of Rangel.
According to a criminal complaint, the shooting was gang-related.
A second suspect, identified as 28-year-old Mark Anthony Valdez, was also arrested as an accessory to murder. He was later released on $10,000 bail. Investigators have not determined a potential motive for the shooting.
A Riverside Community Hospital spokesperson said the hospital works closely with local authorities when treating patients under police custody.
"We rely on their guidance and together evaluate the hospital's security needs to keep our patients, visitors and colleagues safe. Our deepest condolences go out to the Rangel family and the community of Riverside."
