Son arrested after father found beaten to death in Riverside

A 62-year-old Riverside resident was found dead in his home on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 14, and his son was arrested on suspicion of murder hours later, the Riverside Police Department said Thursday.

The victim’s wife had returned to their apartment in the 8600 block of Arlington Avenue about 2:35 p.m. and discovered Armando Vazquez bleeding and unconscious on the living room floor, police said. Riverside city fire paramedics pronounced Vazquez dead. He had been beaten to death, said Officer Ryan Railsback, a Police Department spokesman.

Detectives learned that his son, 21-year-old Jair Armando Vazquez, had assaulted his father and then fled in the victim’s car, police said. Detectives tracked Vazquez down in Newport Beach, where they arrested him mere steps from the sand at Coronado Street and E. Oceanfront.

Vazquez was also arrested on suspicion of second-degree robbery. He was being held at Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in French Valley in lieu of $1 million bail.

Police ask anyone with additional information on the case to contact Detective Josh Ontko at 951-353-7121 or JOntko@RiversideCA.gov. Tips may be left anonymously via email at RPDTips@RiversideCA.gov or on the department’s smartphone app Submit a Tip feature, referencing report number 210025360.