Apple Valley — Early Wednesday morning, neighbors called in a lone motorcycle left in the road at a quiet intersection. By late afternoon, the rider, 46‑year‑old Jeremy Gonzales, was found dead on the porch of a home not far away.
Just after 7:20 a.m. on March 18, deputies were sent to the corner of Chole Road and Pirinda Road. A motorcycle was parked awkwardly in the roadway and it was clear something was wrong. Officers could tell the bike had been in a crash, but no rider or witnesses were around.
No helmets, no skid marks leading to anyone walking off, just an empty scene and a parked motorcycle that didn’t belong there. Deputies called for a tow and had the bike taken away. At the time, they had no idea who the rider was or where he had gone.
Hours later, at about 3:06 p.m., sheriff’s deputies responded to a call on the 15000 block of Chole Road. A man was laying unresponsive on a front porch. When officers arrived, the man was already dead.
The man was identified as Jeremy Gonzales, a 46‑year‑old Apple Valley resident. Investigators say his injuries were consistent with a traffic crash, and based on what they know now, they believe he was the person who had been riding the motorcycle earlier that morning.
Family members who knew Gonzales describe a quiet, steady man who loved the open road and kept to himself. Friends say it was unlike him to not check in or leave word if he had been injured or needed help.
Authorities are still looking into how Gonzales got from the motorcycle crash to the home where he was found. They are waiting on autopsy results to confirm exactly what happened and are asking anyone who saw anything to come forward.
If you have relevant information that could help investigators piece together the events of that morning, police urge you to reach out to the Apple Valley Police Station or Sheriff’s Dispatch.
