A convicted felon accused of gunning down a 32-year-old man during a premeditated attack in Moreno Valley almost two years ago was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder and other offenses.
Jeffrey Donnell Hendrix III, 39, of Moreno Valley was arrested last week following an investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department into the slaying of Scott Leflore, also of Moreno Valley.
Along with murder, Hendrix is charged with a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
The defendant, who is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail, was slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Carlos Mendoza, on the night of July 26, 2024, Hendrix ambushed Leflore in a residential area in the 24000 block of Fawn Street, near Heacock Street, a few blocks from downtown Moreno Valley.
The victim was mortally wounded during the shooting, after which the assailant fled the scene, Mendoza alleged.
He said Leflore was rushed to nearby Riverside University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Central Homicide Unit detectives took over the investigation and spent months tracking down leads that ultimately pointed to Hendrix as the alleged shooter. A possible motive was not disclosed.
The defendant was taken into custody without incident on Renaissance Parkway in Rialto shortly after 10 a.m. Friday.
Court records indicated that he has two prior felony convictions, but they were not specified.