Andres Valdes Obituary, Death – After nearly two decades of uncertainty, justice is finally taking shape in the long-unsolved murder of Andres Valdes. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department announced this week that five individuals have been arrested in connection with the 2007 killing, which had gone cold due to a lack of leads.
Andres Valdes, 51, was tragically shot multiple times during a violent home invasion on June 13, 2007, at a residence on the 19000 block of Mariposa Avenue in Mead Valley, located in western Riverside County. That night, deputies from the Perris Station responded to reports of gunfire and a possible robbery in progress.
Upon arrival, authorities discovered Valdes at the scene. Despite emergency efforts, he was pronounced dead by paramedics. Several others at the residence had also been assaulted and sustained minor injuries during the incident.
Witnesses reported that a group of masked intruders stormed the home with the intent to rob the occupants. During the struggle that ensued, Valdes bravely confronted the attackers, which led to one of them fatally shooting him.
The case was initially taken over by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit. Despite thorough efforts, it eventually went cold due to insufficient evidence and leads.
In early 2025, a renewed investigation was launched by a fresh team of detectives who reexamined the evidence and followed up on previously unexplored leads. Their persistence led to the identification of five suspects connected to both the robbery and the murder.
The suspects, all 37 years old, were identified as Kenneth Tucker and Deshawn Hill, both of Riverside; Dennis Haynes and Kenneth Haynes, both of Phoenix, Arizona; and Keith Crutchfield of Killeen, Texas. Two of the suspects reportedly lived just miles from the original crime scene.
Arrests began earlier this month. Deshawn Hill was taken into custody on July 5 in Riverside and booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center. Kenneth Tucker was arrested on July 6 and booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta. The remaining three suspects were apprehended between July 14 and July 20 in their respective states.
The arrests mark a major breakthrough in the nearly 18-year-old case and bring a long-awaited step toward closure for the Valdes family and the Mead Valley community. The investigation remains active as authorities continue to piece together additional details and build the case for prosecution.
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