Good Samaritan helps Corona police catch registered sex offender

A Good Samaritan who gave Corona police officers a ride during a foot pursuit was recognized by the city's police chief after helping officers apprehend a registered sex offender accused of attempting to secretly record someone inside a dressing room.

The incident happened Friday, Oct. 23, at the Ross Dress for Less on Magnolia Avenue, just west of the 15 Freeway.

According to Corona police spokesperson Brandon Palaoro, officers responded after receiving reports that a man had placed a cellphone beneath a fitting room door inside the store.

"We got a call from several people who reported seeing an adult male place a cell phone underneath the fitting room door of a retail store where a teenage girl was changing," Palaoro said.

Police said one of their drones helped locate the suspect, and officers arriving at the scene began pursuing him. During the chase, officers left their vehicles behind and continued on foot after the suspect began jumping fences.

It was during that pursuit that a passing driver stopped to help.

"The officer kind of waved to him, kind of like hailing a cab, if you will. And he pulled over without hesitation, without question. He let the officers jump in his car, didn't even ask what it was about and just said, where to?" Palaoro said.

After driving about half a mile, officers caught up with the suspect, whom police identified as 38-year-old Ivan Lopez of Riverside, a registered sex offender.

Palaoro praised the driver's actions and said the man acted without knowing the details of the situation.

"You know, pulling over, stopping, helping those officers, letting them jump in the car. It's not something you see every day. It takes a lot of courage. He did so without even knowing what was going on, without asking any questions, and he deserves all the praise that we can give him," Palaoro said.

Police said the Good Samaritan was later given special recognition by the Corona police chief.

While noting that officers do not always expect members of the public to assist during active incidents, Palaoro said the case highlighted the value of cooperation between law enforcement and the community.

"You know not always our citizens going to be able to come in and help officers. We don't always want or expect that. Safety is paramount. But any time that we can collaboratively work together and we can have that partnership between the community and law enforcement to put bad folks in jail, it's a win," Palaoro said.

The suspect remains in custody. Bail has been set at $1 million.