Lake Elsinore Man Shot By Store Owner During Beating Incident

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — A man who was shot after allegedly assaulting his partner in front of a Lake Elsinore shop owner is now in jail awaiting a court appearance.

Vincent Benton, 31, of Lake Elsinore was booked on suspicion of second degree robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, battery, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse/co-inhabitant, terrorists threats, receiving known stolen property, vandalism, and violating probation, among other charges, jail records show.

Benton was taken into custody in the afternoon on June 6 after sheriff's deputies responded to an area in Lake Elsinore's 100 block of Main Street. Deputies learned that a man, later identified as Benton, was beating his female partner inside a shop.

"The business owner intervened and the male suspect left the store and returned minutes later," the sheriff's department reported.

Once back inside, Benton, who weighs 220 pounds, pushed the shop owner to the ground and charged his partner, hitting and kicking her while she was on the ground, according to the sheriff's department.

During the frenzy, Benton armed himself with a metal object and began striking his partner with it. The store owner pulled out a gun, but Benton still came at him and was hit with one bullet in the abdomen, according to the sheriff's department.

Benton fled out of the business's back door and deputies could not find him, so the sheriff's Star-9 helicopter and crew were called in to assist. He was later found near Pottery and Adobe streets. His gunshot wound was non-life threatening, but he was transported to a local hospital for treatment, according to the sheriff's department.

Benton is now being held at Cois Byrd Detention Center on $150,000 bail and is due in court July 20, jail records show.

There is no word on the woman's condition.