Jeremy Amerson, a 32-year-old resident of Riverside, California, was found dead on August 17, 2020, in a flood control channel in Jurupa Valley. His body was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds, and despite emergency lifesaving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department launched an investigation into his death, which quickly led to the identification of Shaun Daniel Tara, a 36-year-old man from Jurupa Valley, as the primary suspect.
The
investigation revealed that Amerson and Tara had been acquaintances, but their relationship soured following a drug-related dispute. On July 29, 2020, Tara was involved in a shooting incident at an am/pm convenience store, which Amerson witnessed. Amerson criticized Tara for the shooting, as it drew unwanted attention to the nearby homeless encampment where Amerson and his girlfriend were staying. This criticism led to escalating tensions between the two men, with Tara making threats against Amerson.
In the early hours of August 17, 2020, Amerson was working on his motorcycle in the canal under the Van Buren Boulevard bridge when Tara approached him. According to witnesses, including Amerson's girlfriend who was asleep nearby, Amerson pleaded for his life, but Tara shot him twice in the chest, killing him instantly. Tara fled the scene, and the witnesses, initially fearful for their lives, were reluctant to come forward. However, after several weeks of interviews, detectives were able to gather enough information to identify Tara as the shooter.
Tara was arrested on August 27, 2020, in Pomona, California, and charged with first-degree murder. He was held without bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center. In July 2021, a Riverside jury found Tara guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and a special-circumstance allegation of killing a witness to a crime. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The case highlighted the dangers faced by individuals living in homeless encampments and the impact of drug-related violence on the community.
