Murder charge filed against suspect in killing of Riverside County Deputy Darnell Calhoun
LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (KABC) -- A man accused of killing Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Darnell Calhoun is now facing a first-degree murder charge that makes him potentially eligible for the death penalty.
The Riverside County District Attorney's confirmed it has filed charges against suspect Jesse Navarro, 43, that include one count of first-degree murder, a count of attempted murder, related firearm enhancements, and the special circumstance allegations of murder of a peace officer and discharge from a motor vehicle.
The special circumstance makes Navarro eligible for the death penalty if convicted, although DA Mike Hestrin has not yet made a decision on whether to seek that sentence. Also Gov. Gavin Newsom has since 2019 ordered a moratorium on the death penalty in California.
On Jan. 13, Calhoun was the first deputy on scene responding to a domestic violence call at Navarro's home in the Lakeland Village community near Lake Elsinore.
Suspect ID'd in fatal shooting of Riverside County sheriff's deputy near Lake Elsinore
Investigators say Navarro shot Calhoun multiple times soon after he arrived.
A second deputy soon arrived, finding Calhoun shot in the street, and fired back, hitting Navarro.
Navarro remains under medical care from those gunfight injuries and has not been booked into jail or arraigned yet.
Calhoun was a married father of two, with a third child on the way. His family owns a popular barbecue restaurant in Murrieta.
It was the second killing of a Riverside County deputy in a matter of weeks.
In late December, Deputy Isaiah Cordero, was shot and killed in an encounter with a felon who had an extensive criminal record. The gunman in that incident was shot and killed by deputies after a chase.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
