Following the death of George Floyd, Americans hit the street to protest police brutality. One of those protests took place on June 1st in Riverside, California.
According to the City of Riverside, the protests were largely peaceful. Once the main march was concluded, a handful of people stayed behind to cause chaos and destruction.
"There were numerous acts of vandalism and several businesses were either looted or attempts made. There were also instances where large commercial grade fireworks were thrown at law enforcement and ignited amongst crowds of people," the city said in a statement.
One of the incidents was caught on camera, where the agitator threw fireworks at law enforcement personnel. Someone in the crowd quickly picked it up and chucked it back into the car, where it exploded.
Police were able to use the video footage and the car's license plate to identify the perp. The man was identified as 20-year-old Gabriel Castillo of nearby Perris. Police conducted a search warrant on Tuesday. Castillo was arrested, booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center for the illegal fireworks violation and probation violations. He is currently being held on $50,000 bail.While police caught Castillo, they are asking for the public's help in identifying a handful of other people accused of causing thousands of dollars in damages.
Videos one and two show a male spray painting graffiti on an electrical box. The third and fourth videos show a male suspect using a hammer to vandalize and attempt to break into a Wells Fargo ATM.
Video number five shows a large group breaking into and looting the T-Mobile store.
The sixth video shows a male suspect walking away after he smashed four large glass windows at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office building. The damage he caused totaled over $8,000.
The seventh video show several suspects vandalizing and attempting to break into the Provident Bank ATM, with an estimated damage total of at least $30,000.
The eighth and final video captured a suspect using a metal pipe object to attempt to break the glass doors to the Game Lab. Three women and three men ultimately stopped the suspect from committing further damage and looting.
Anyone wishing to provide police with an anonymous tip can send an email to pdtips@riversideca.gov or utilize the Riverside Police Department’s mobile app “Submit a Tip” feature while referencing report number 200010585.
