Homicide Investigation (Update) 

August 12, 2025 – Riverside County Sheriff’s Office officials report that the Riverside Sheriff's Central Homicide Unit continued the investigation into the murder of the victim, who was later identified as Giovanni Martinez, a 30-year-old resident of Perris.

Homicide investigators identified the suspect involved as Raul Varela, a 51-year-old resident of Turlock, California. On Saturday, August 9, 2025, about 7:00 p.m., with the assistance of the Riverside County District Attorney's Office Gang Impact Team and the Riverside Sheriff's Special Enforcement Bureau, Varela was located in the area of Woodward Street and Elizabeth Street in the unincorporated area of Perris known as Mead Valley and taken into custody without incident. Varela was later booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center for murder.

Related: Riverside County Sheriff Opens Homicide Investigation After Man Found Deceased on Woodward Street

Anyone with additional information about this investigation is encouraged to contact Master Investigator D. Robertson with the Central Homicide Unit at (951) 955-1777 or Sheriff's Dispatch at 951-776-1099.

Reporting Supervisor: Sergeant Lance Stoyer

File # PC252190071

Source & photo: Riverside County Sheriff’s Office