Banning Man Strikes Another With A Baseball Bat To The Face, Held On Attempted Murder Charges

BANNING, CA — A Banning man was struck in the face with a baseball bat in broad daylight Sunday afternoon. Now, his attacker is under arrest on pending charges of attempted murder, police say.

Shortly before 3 p.m., Cal Fire/ Riverside County Fire Department medics arrived in the 500 block of W. Ramsey Street to find the victim on the ground, unresponsive and bleeding profusely from the face.

"Personnel provided emergency medical treatment, and the victim was taken to a nearby hospital, where he remains in critical condition," according to Banning Police.

Officers canvassed the area and located witnesses who provided information, saying that the suspect struck the victim in the head with a baseball bat.

Witnesses then saw the suspect enter a nearby apartment, where he remained inside upon police arrival.

"Based on the information obtained during the investigation, officers secured and later served a search warrant," according to the department.

At 9 p.m., officers entered the apartment located in the 500 block of W. Ramsey Street, where he was found hiding in the apartment attic.

Jaime Luis III, 32, was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility on pending charges of Attempted Murder.

On the same evening, another Banning resident was gunned down merely a block away. "The Banning Police Department Detective Bureau is actively investigating the shooting incident," the department said.

It was not immediately clear if the two incidents were related.

Anyone with information related to the baseball bat attack is encouraged to contact the Banning Police Department Detective Bureau at (951) 922-3170 and reference the Banning Police Department's Case #26-1077.