Armed Suspect Arrested in Rialto After Firing AR-15 Rifle Aimlessly Two Blocks from Police Station

A 23-year-old Fontana man was arrested early Thursday, Jan. 16th, after walking through downtown Rialto firing an AR-15 style rifle into the street, authorities said. Police officers apprehended Sebastian Munoz without incident just minutes after receiving multiple 911 calls about gunfire near the Uptown Downtown Bar-Nightclub, only two blocks from the Rialto Police Department.

The incident unfolded at approximately 2:22 a.m. when the Rialto Police Department’s Communications Center was alerted to a man firing a rifle while walking in the middle of the street in the 200 block of South Riverside Avenue. Officers arrived on the scene in under two minutes, where they found Munoz still armed. He surrendered without resistance, according to a police statement.

Investigators said Munoz had been a patron at the Uptown Downtown Bar-Nightclub until around 2 a.m. before retrieving a rifle and two handguns from his vehicle. When denied re-entry into the business, Munoz reportedly wandered into the street and fired the AR-15 style rifle five to ten times, targeting no one in particular.

“There’s someone in the front of my bar right now with a big gun and he’s shooting up into the air. My security stepped outside and he saw the gun,” said a female employee at Uptown Downtown Bar-Nightclub, who called the PD’s dispatch to report the crime. 

A subsequent search of Munoz’s vehicle revealed additional firearms, ammunition, and approximately two ounces of suspected cocaine. Authorities believe Munoz was hallucinating under the influence of alcohol and narcotics at the time of the incident.

Munoz was booked into the West Valley Detention Center on multiple charges, including:

• PC 25850(c)(6): Possession of a firearm when not the registered owner.
• PC 25850(a): Carrying a loaded firearm in public.
• PC 246.3(a): Negligent discharge of a firearm.
• HS 11370.1: Possession of a firearm while in possession of narcotics.

His bail was set at $250,000, but as of January 17, 2025, Munoz remains in custody and is now ineligible for bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on January 21 at Rancho Superior Court.

Rialto police also executed a search warrant at Munoz’s residence, uncovering additional ammunition. The investigation into his possession of the firearms and potential victims or property damage remains ongoing.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Sgt. Nic Parcher at (909) 820-2550 or submit tips anonymously through WeTip at (800) 782-7463, referencing case number 932500538.