Riverside Woman Shot by Colton Police After Allegedly Setting Fire to Vehicle, Charging Officers with Knife

A 36-year-old Riverside woman was shot by Colton police early Thursday, Feb. 13, at approximately 12:20 a.m., after she allegedly set fire to a vehicle and advanced toward officers with a knife, authorities said.

Officers responded to multiple reports of a woman armed with a knife at the ARCO gas station on the 1200 block of East Washington Street, according to a press release from the Colton Police Department. Witnesses reported that the woman, identified as Leandra Michelle Guerrero, was attempting to open car doors.

Upon arrival, officers spoke with a reporting party who told them Guerrero had entered his vehicle and refused to leave. Officers found Guerrero sitting in the driver’s seat of a Toyota Sequoia parked near the gas pumps, police said.

Despite multiple commands from officers to exit the vehicle, Guerrero allegedly lit the interior on fire before stepping out and approaching officers while still holding the knife, according to police.

At that point, an officer-involved shooting occurred, and Guerrero was struck by gunfire. Officers provided first aid until emergency responders from American Medical Response arrived and transported her to a local hospital, where she remains in critical condition, police said.

The fire was extinguished by the Colton Fire Department, and a knife was recovered at the scene.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s Office have taken over the investigation.

Authorities urge anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Specialized Investigations Division at (909) 387-3506, referencing case #602500010 H#2025-010.