Man Arrested In Connection To Stabbing Death Of Homeless Man In Riverside

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — Detectives announced the arrest of a 26-year-old man Monday who allegedly stabbed and killed a homeless man in Riverside.

According to the Riverside Police Department, officers received a 911 call around 8:16 p.m. Friday reporting a man down near the railroad tracks at the Pachappa Hill Bridge near Olivewood Avenue.

When authorities arrived to the scene, they located a male victim -- later identified as Ronald Bridges, 28, a transient in Riverside -- suffering from apparent stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A preliminary investigation revealed that Bridges was walking with Mathew Benjamin Johnson near the railroad tracks, when Johnson allegedly stabbed him in the chest.

Police explained Johnson and another unidentified man then walked off the tracks and headed onto Olivewood Avenue.

On Saturday, Johnson was apprehended by SWAT team members in the Santa Ana river bottom, and was subsequently arrested after being interviewed by detectives.

He is currently being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of murder.

According to police, the second suspect was last seen riding a bicycle on Jurupa Avenue heading towards Magnolia Avenue. No suspect description is available at this time.

Anyone who may have witnessed the fight prior to officers arrival is urged to contact the Riverside Police Department at (951) 353-7103 or (951) 353-7137.