Deputies arrested a Homeland man after a group of juveniles allegedly exposed him for being a sexual predator, authorities announced Saturday.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to Nicolas Road Park in the city of Temecula on Friday afternoon for a tip that an adult was meeting with a minor for sexual purposes.

“Upon arrival, a deputy was met with a crowd of approximately 20 juveniles recording the encounter,” the department said.

Deputies detained the suspect, identified as 46-year-old William Vandenbush. 

Authorities said an investigation revealed Vandenbush sent nude photographs and agreed to meet a minor for sexual purposes.

Deputies arrested Vandenbush for multiple felonies and booked him at the Cois Byrd Detention Center for sending harmful matter to a minor, contacting a minor for sexual purposes and arranging to meet with a minor for sexual purposes, according to the department.

Although the sheriff’s office did not specify how exactly the juveniles exposed Vandenbush in its press release, officials made a point to discourage residents from conducting their own undercover investigations and arranging to meet with potential suspects.

“This action unnecessarily jeopardized the safety of everyone in the vicinity of the park,” wrote the department. “We encourage anyone with information related to child sexual abuse, or online sexual exploitation of minors for sex, to immediately contact their local law enforcement agency.”

“Law enforcement professionals investigating these types of egregious crimes have specialized training and follow specific protocols to ensure a proper investigation, evidence preservation, and public safety,” the sheriff’s office continued. “By following these specific protocols, the investigation is not compromised and ensures a thorough investigation is presented to their local district attorney’s office for prosecution.”

Authorities said that while this is an ongoing investigation, no further information will be released.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said it encourages anyone with information on this case to call Investigator Alissa Morris or Deputy Kevin Au at 951-696-3000.

Images in this story and above video may be considered disturbing

Rumors are aplenty, and nobody knows the real reason why, but Los Angeles and its surrounding areas have been fortunate to be populated with beautiful, “model citizen” parrots for decades.

But as of late, in a disturbing trend, many of these birds in the San Gabriel Valley are being found by residents with severe wounds, or even dead.

Cleo Watts, founder of non profit animal rehabilitation center Cleo’s Critter Care in Pasadena, says she’s received several calls reporting severe injuries or deaths to the friendly creatures in the area.

“I’ve been getting a lot of phone calls for birds being shot down,” Watts told KTLA’s Jennifer McGraw. “It’s very upsetting to know that somebody would do this to these animals.”

Watts admits that the colorful birds are a controversial topic in Pasadena, Altadena and the rest of the San Gabriel Valley. They can be loud and somewhat obnoxious, she said, leading to some wishing the birds weren’t populating the area.

“We have leaf blowers, we have people with loud [car] exhausts, crying babies, barking dogs,” she said. “We don’t go shooting them. So why these guys?”

The suspected targeting of these birds isn’t the first time it’s happened in the L.A. area — it happened just last year in Temple City, when someone placed nets into trees, resulting in the death of some birds.

This time around, Watts said it appears that someone is “shooting” the birds with some kind of weapon. As many as 11 parrots have been killed or severely injured in recent weeks.

The surviving, injured birds have been placed into Watts’ care. She’s taken some to specialists, where they can receive intensive care as needed.

One parrot brought into her care was missing half of a wing, according to Watts.

Anyone with information as to a suspect in these crimes are encouraged to call police. Anyone that finds an injured bird is encouraged to reach out to Watts at cleoscrittercareca@gmail.com.

Public health officials have reported the first case of clade I mpox in the United States in a person who traveled to California. 

Clade I mpox is different than clade II mpox, which has been circulating in Southern California, across the state and America since 2022. 

Through lab testing, health officials confirmed the case was confirmed in an individual who recently traveled to California from Africa. According to CDPH, the case is related to the ongoing outbreak of clade I mpox in Central and East Africa. 

“Historically, clade I has caused more severe illness than clade II; however, recent infections from clade I mpox may not be as clinically severe as in previous outbreaks, especially when cases have access to quality medical care,” health officials clarified. 

The infected individual received treatment in San Mateo County based on their travel history and symptoms, CDPH said, adding that they are isolating at home and recovering, and that anyone who may have been in contact with the person has been notified by public health workers. 

“There is no concern or evidence that mpox clade I is currently spreading between individuals in California or the United States,” health officials said. 

According to the health department, it appears that clade I mpox spreads in a similar manner as clade II mpox – through close skin-to-skin contact, intimate and sexual conduct. 

More information can be found here.