HESPERIA, Calif. (VVNG.com) — Detectives have identified and arrested the suspect accused of fatally shooting 40-year-old Augustin Martinez near the California Aqueduct earlier this month.
According to an updated release, investigators determined that Kim Eldridge, a 61-year-old resident of Victorville, was responsible for the shooting.
On Thursday, November 20, 2025, members of the Sheriff’s Specialized Enforcement Division (SWAT) contacted Eldridge at a hotel in Victorville and took him into custody without incident.
He was booked into the High Desert Detention Center, where he remains held without bail.
The update follows the original response on Sunday, November 9, 2025, when Hesperia Station deputies were called to a medical aid report at about 6:14 a.m. after an unresponsive man was found along the aqueduct trail near Muscatel Street. Martinez, described as a transient, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division – Homicide Detail assumed the investigation.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Homicide Detail at 909-890-4904. Anonymous tips can be submitted to We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME or online at wetip.com.
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