Photos of two men suspected of fatally injuring a 28-year-old good Samaritan during a brawl in downtown Riverside were released Monday by police in the hope that someone might recognize the pair.
"One of our detectives received the pictures, and we believe these are our prime suspects,'' Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback told City News Service.
The snapshots, along with details, were posted to the police department's Facebook page.
One suspect is described as a clean-cut black or Hispanic man in his mid- 20s, with a medium height and build. He was wearing a light-blue, short- sleeved button-down shirt, tan pants and black shoes. The other man is Hispanic, about 5-foot-7 with a thin build and longer black hair on top, but cropped in the back and shaved around the ears. He was wearing a black T-shirt with a necklace and gray skinny jeans with dark-colored shoes.
The victim, Adam Valles of Bloomington, died Thursday after almost a week on life support. The father of two was with family members on Aug. 12 when he exited the Hideaway Cafe, adjacent to the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, about 2 a.m. and walked into a brawl, according to police.
Witnesses said that three to four people were attacking a lone man on the sidewalk, pummeling him.
Valles approached to see if he could assist the victim and was jumped from behind by one of the suspects, who knocked him to the ground. A second man then hit Valles as he tried to get up, causing him to strike his head on the pavement, resulting in massive trauma.
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Passers-by with camera phones and a security surveillance camera mounted on a storefront captured part of the assault. That video is available here.
Valles' wife, Johana Cordova Valles, described her late husband as a "peacemaker" who always tried to render assistance to people in distress.
She started a GoFundMe account to help raise money to cover hospital bills, but that changed to a fundraiser to offset funeral expenses last week.
Anyone with information about the identities or whereabouts of the suspects was urged to call the police department at (951) 353-7213.
If you would like to donate to a GoFundMe account set up to help the Valles family, you may do so here. Note that GoFundMe deducts 7.9 percent of all funds raised in the form of platform and payment processing charges.
