On June 9, 2023, at about 10:20 p.m., 43-year-old Victorville resident Eddie James was shot in the 14200 block of Valley Center Drive. Emergency crews took him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators later identified 41-year-old Victorville resident Ricky Prudholme Jr. as a suspect. On July 10, 2023, Prudholme was arrested and charged with murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and participating in a criminal street gang; he was held without bail and scheduled to appear in court on July 12, 2023. James had prior contacts with law enforcement, including arrests in April 2019 for making threats of violence and in May 2022 for trespassing on closed lands and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is continuing its investigation and asks anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.