Moreno Valley, California — A neighborhood in this Inland Empire city was shaken on Tuesday when 38‑year‑old resident Sean Street died after a brutal assault that left him gravely injured. Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office were called to a hospital shortly after 2:45 p.m. when Street was dropped off with severe injuries that witnesses later said were consistent with a violent confrontation. Despite efforts by doctors and nurses to save his life, Street died that night.
Investigators traced the injury back to a house on the 14000 block of Big Horn Avenue, where neighbors reported a dispute had turned physical. People who saw what happened described how Street was struck with enough force to leave him in critical condition before friends or bystanders drove him a short distance to medical help. The mood in the usually quiet street turned somber as news of Street’s death spread.
Sheriff’s deputies spoke with several witnesses and pieced together that the assault did not appear random. They identified 37‑year‑old Brandon Thigpen, another Moreno Valley man, as the person believed to have attacked Street during an afternoon confrontation. Officials have not detailed what sparked the altercation, but the response was swift.
Thigpen was located hours later after deputies secured the scene and canvassed the area. He was taken into custody early the next morning without incident and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on a murder charge. The booking came with a bail set at $1 million, reflecting the seriousness of the allegation.
For family and friends of Sean Street, the loss has been crushing. Street was known locally as someone who cared about his community and had strong ties with those who lived around Big Horn Avenue. In the wake of his death, several neighbors said they were still trying to grasp how an ordinary afternoon could end in such tragedy.
Authorities from the Central Homicide Unit have taken over the investigation, working to piece together all the circumstances leading to Street’s death. Detectives have interviewed witnesses and are continuing to gather evidence. So far, they have kept additional specific details about the possible motive or what set the confrontation off private while the case unfolds.
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who may have seen something or who knows more about what led to the fatal assault to contact investigators. Even small details could be important as the case moves forward and prosecutors prepare for potential charges against Thigpen.
