A convicted felon accused of randomly firing shots into the air while high on drugs in Moreno Valley was charged Friday with negligently discharging a firearm and other offenses.
Angel Michael Rivas, 31, of Moreno Valley was arrested Tuesday following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation.
Along with the reckless gunfire count, Rivas is charged with being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm, being under the influence of controlled substances while armed and possession of a gun with altered or erased serial numbers to prevent identification.
The defendant, who is being held in lieu of $70,000 bail at the Robert Presley Jail, was slated to make his initial court appearance Friday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday, Rivas was wandering through the 12000 block of Heacock Street, near Ironwood Avenue, when he allegedly opened fire with a handgun, according to the sheriff’s department.
The agency alleged the defendant fired an unspecified number of rounds, apparently for recreation, prompting calls to 911.
When patrol deputies made initial contact with Rivas, “he fled on foot,” according to the sheriff’s department.
A chase ensued, at the end of which he was taken into custody without further incident. There were no reports of injuries — neither from the gunfire, or the foot pursuit.
Court records show Rivas has several prior convictions in Riverside County, but they weren’t specified.