A 19-year-old man who tried to ram his vehicle into rangers patrolling a Riverside park, where he was attempting to complete a drug transaction, was bound for state prison Friday to serve a sentence of four years, four months after admitting multiple charges.
Jean Marcos Jimenez of Riverside pleaded guilty Thursday to assault with a deadly weapon, reckless gunfire, possession of controlled substances for sale and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a firearm during the commission of a felony. As part of his plea agreement, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office dropped four related felony counts against Jimenez.
Superior Court Judge Gail O’Rane certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the sentence stipulated by the prosecution and defense.
According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, on the morning of March 10, Jimenez entered Bryant Park on Philbin Avenue, traveling at an excessive speed within the confined space.
The defendant attracted the attention of two members of the city’s Park & Neighborhood Specialist, or PANS, unit, whose personnel have the same status as park rangers.
Railsback said the PANS patrolmen kept their eyes on Jimenez as he rendezvoused with the driver of another car in the park. The rangers remained in their city-marked pickup truck, and when Jimenez and the other motorist, whose identity was never confirmed, realized they were being observed, they headed for the park exit.
“As both cars were leaving the parking lot, one of the vehicles accelerated toward the PANS truck in an attempt to ram or strike them, but fortunately they were able to avoid being hit,” Railsback said. “The specialists began to drive from the area for their safety when they heard several gunshots coming from the vehicle that almost rammed into them.”
The victims, who were not injured, requested help from Riverside police patrol units, several of which converged on the location minutes later, according to Railsback.
He said a search of the area for the assailant was unsuccessful, but detectives were able to confirm his identity relying on security surveillance video captured by cameras at a business, as well as other evidence collected at the scene.
Six days later, an arrest warrant was obtained for Jimenez, and investigators tracked him to a location in Norco.
“While trying to apprehend him, the suspect attempted to flee from officers by intentionally ramming one of their vehicles, but he was safely taken into custody,” Railsback said.
No one was hurt.
“A search of (Jimenez’s) vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately nine ounces of suspected fentanyl, 120 ounces of marijuana, 19 ounces of psilocybin mushrooms, 320 packaged marijuana and psilocybin mushroom candies, a 9mm handgun, ammunition, large amount of cash and packaging that indicated sales of illegal narcotics,” the police spokesman said.
Detectives confirmed the rangers had interrupted a drug deal between the defendant and the other driver. Jimenez had fired his pistol into the air, not at the rangers’ vehicle, police said.
The defendant had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.