In-Custody Homicide 

September 14, 2024 – Riverside County Sheriff’s Office officials report that on September 5, 2024, at 1:30 p.m., deputies were summoned to the Sheriff’s Inmate Training and Education Bureau (SITE-B) within the Smith Correctional Facility regarding an assault with a deadly weapon. Upon arrival, deputies located the victim suffering injuries consistent with a stab wound. Deputies provided medical aid until paramedics arrived. The victim was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. The suspect, 55-year-old Scott Lowder (pictured), who was in custody for criminal threats and brandishing a firearm, was immediately detained.

The Riverside Sheriff’s Corrections Central Investigations Unit, along with the Riverside Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit, responded and assumed the investigation. The victim’s family was notified and was able to be at his bedside while he was being treated at the hospital. On September 7, 2024, the victim, Steve Gonzalez, a 36-year-old resident of Moreno Valley, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. Lowder remains in custody pending murder charges. This is an ongoing investigation, and no further details will be released.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Investigator R. Navarrete with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777.

Reporting Supervisor: Sergeant Lance Stoyer

File # BC242490006

Source & photo: Riverside County Sheriff’s Office