Eric John Nourani and Jennifer Rose Dobbins, both from Imperial Beach, struggled with a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy, who then ended up fatally shooting Dobbins during the fight, authorities said
An Imperial Beach man has been charged with murder after authorities say he and a female companion struggled with a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy, who then ended up fatally shooting the woman during the fight.
Eric Nourani, 32, was charged with murder on June 13, 2024, in the death of Jennifer Rose Dobbins, who was shot to death by a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy in Corona on June 11 after authorities say Nourani fought with the deputy for the deputy’s gun and Dobbins joined in the assault. (Courtesy of Riverside County Sheriff’s Department)
Jennifer Rose Dobbins, 30, of Imperial Beach, died at Riverside Community Hospital on June 11, about 90 minutes after she was wounded in the confrontation on West Sixth Street in Corona.
Besides murder, Eric John Nourani, 32, was also charged with attempted murder of a peace officer, mayhem, resisting arrest and resisting arrest causing great bodily injury, according to the criminal complaint. Nourani pleaded not guilty to all charges in Superior Court in Riverside Thursday. He is being represented by the Public Defender’s Office.
Nourani was being held in lieu of $2 million bail.
The charges carry a potential sentence of life in prison, the complaint says.
A person can be charged with murder if they demonstrate “reckless indifference to human life” that results in the death of another, even if they did not directly inflict the fatal injury, according to the state’s felony murder law.
The precise details of the fight and the shooting have not been made available, so it was unclear Thursday whether the deputy intentionally fired at the woman who had joined the struggle or whether the gun discharged accidentally.
The Sheriff’s Department declined to describe the relationship between Dobbins and Nourani.
The incident began shortly after 1 a.m., when a deputy attempted to talk to a group of people on Sixth Street. He chased them when they ran. The Sheriff’s Department said Nourani assaulted the deputy as the deputy rounded a corner. As they fought, Dobbins attempted to assault the deputy, the department said, and was shot.
The deputy was treated at a hospital and released. The department declined to describe his injuries.
The state Attorney General’s Office is investigating the shooting under the law that requires the Department of Justice to probe fatal shootings of unarmed civilians by peace officers.