LOS ANGELES, CA — A 52-year-old Wildomar man was arrested in connection with the death of his 74-year-old mother after the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office investigated her death as suspicious for more than a year.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said deputies from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station were initially dispatched to the 33000 block of Hidden Hollow Drive in Wildomar at about 4:29 p.m. on July 27, 2025, after Sheriff’s Coroner personnel reported suspicious factors surrounding the death of Bonnie Thompson, a 74-year-old Wildomar resident.
Deputies and station investigators conducted the initial investigation before the Sheriff’s Office Central Homicide Unit later reviewed additional information and evidence and assumed responsibility for the case.
The investigation ultimately identified Thompson’s biological son, Justin Tyler Scott, as the suspect, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Son arrested more than a year after investigation began
Scott, 52, was taken into custody on Sept. 11, 2026, and booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center on suspicion of murder and elder abuse, authorities said.
The arrest came more than a year after deputies first responded to Thompson’s death.
The Sheriff’s Office has not publicly disclosed what specific evidence led investigators to identify Scott as the suspect. Authorities also have not described the circumstances that initially prompted coroner personnel to report suspicious factors surrounding Thompson’s death.
Because the case remains active, investigators have not released additional information about what occurred at the Wildomar residence or the events leading to Thompson’s death.
Authorities provide few details about death
The Sheriff’s Office said the initial call was not described as a homicide investigation. Instead, deputies were dispatched after Coroner’s Office personnel reported suspicious factors connected to the death.
Deputies and station investigators then began examining the circumstances surrounding the death. The Central Homicide Unit subsequently reviewed further information and evidence before taking over the investigation.
That investigative process eventually resulted in Scott being identified as the suspect.
Authorities have not publicly explained the nature of the suspicious factors, how Thompson died or what investigators believe happened between the mother and son.
The Sheriff’s Office also has not released additional information about a possible motive.
Case remains active
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office described the investigation as active and ongoing and said no further information would be released at this time.
That means additional details about the circumstances of Thompson’s death, the evidence gathered by investigators and the allegations against Scott have not yet been made public.
The arrest also represents an accusation rather than a criminal conviction. Scott will be entitled to the legal protections and court process that apply to a person accused of a crime.
The Sheriff’s Office maintains an elder abuse resources page that provides information about reporting suspected abuse or neglect in Riverside County. The department says elder abuse or neglect can be reported 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Investigators ask for information
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about Thompson’s death or the investigation to contact Central Homicide Unit Investigator DiMaggio at 951-955-2777.
Authorities have not announced additional details about the case while the investigation continues.
For now, the known timeline begins with the suspicious-death investigation on July 27, 2025, continues through the Central Homicide Unit’s review of evidence and culminates in Scott’s Sept. 11, 2026, arrest on suspicion of murder and elder abuse.
