How the San Bernardino Police Department identified a murder suspect at the scene
Author
Brenna Swanston
Content Marketing Manager
Peregrine
Published
April 23, 2026
Author
Brenna Swanston
Content Marketing Manager
Peregrine
Published
April 23, 2026
KEY IDEAS:
- The San Bernardino Police Department (SBPD) responded to a 911 call reporting a deceased body found in an apartment complex parking lot.
- SBPD detectives used Peregrine’s mobile app to identify the homicide suspect within one hour of responding to the call, without leaving the scene.
- Without Peregrine, the investigation would have taken several days, and witness testimonies may have been more difficult and less reliable.
- Peregrine’s mobile app enables faster, more effective investigations for detectives in the field.
SAN BERNARDINO PD AT A GLANCE:
- Location: San Bernardino, California
- Established: 1905
- Sworn officer count: 300
- City population: 224,775
Sources: San Bernardino Police Department, U.S. Census Bureau
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — In May 2025, officers from the San Bernardino Police Department (SBPD) responded to a call reporting a deceased body in the parking lot of a local apartment complex. Within the next 60 minutes, detectives had:
Peregrine’s mobile app allowed SBPD’s detectives to scour their databases and surface critical information and connections instantly. They then interviewed witnesses on the spot and confirmed the suspect’s identity — all without leaving the scene of the crime.
Without Peregrine, that process could have taken days, said SBPD Detective Christopher Emon.
“Without Peregrine, the information probably would not have gotten run for another couple days since the call happened at the end of the week,” Det. Emon said. “I probably would have found what I needed at some point, but I would have had to loop through different databases to get there, and it would have taken me a day or two.”
Keep reading to learn how Peregrine empowers SBPD’s detectives to investigate crimes from anywhere, at any time.
“Events unfold rapidly, so obtaining critical information as early as possible is essential to resolving cases and improving overall solvability outcome.” —Capt. Nelson Carrington, Investigations Division, San Bernardino Police Department
Once SBPD received the initial 911 call, the following unfolded within an hour, all at the scene of the crime:
Officers then arrested the suspect, who is facing murder charges and in ongoing court proceedings.
“When you have a witness who is pertinent to the case, it’s very important to get as much information from them as you can at that point in time,” Emon said. “To track down witnesses later is very difficult, so to have that information as quickly as I did — to catch the witness while they’re cooperative, and before they leave for work or decide not to answer their door for the police anymore — is helpful. The sooner you talk to them, the better. In this case, Peregrine gave me that opportunity with that information fairly quickly.”
💡 WHY IS SPEED IMPORTANT TO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS? Witness accounts play a central role in many criminal investigations. It’s important to obtain information from witnesses as promptly as possible after an incident occurs because the quality of witness accounts declines as time passes. Plus, witnesses tend to become less cooperative over time.
Source: Psychological Contributions to Cold Case Investigations: A Systematic Review
“By utilizing Peregrine, we were able to save detectives several days of investigative work. Identifying a suspect within an hour is an exceptional outcome.” —Capt. Nelson Carrington, Investigations Division, San Bernardino Police Department
Peregrine enabled Emon to run a photo lineup with a witness within minutes of responding to the call — a process that would have otherwise been delayed by several days. Here’s why:
“I was impressed with the Peregrine mobile app when it pulled up the information I needed right away,” Emon said. “I usually sit at my desk and run information through my databases from there. I didn’t realize you could even get BWC through Peregrine. So when it all popped up and I was able to play it on the spot, I was excited about that. And then the fact that it gave me what I needed pretty much right away was even more impressive.”
💡 KEY TAKEAWAY: Moving quickly in a criminal investigation tends to make witness interviews…
- Easier because the witness is more likely to cooperate immediately after the incident
- More accurate because the incident is fresher in the witness’s memory
Capt. Nelson Carrington of SBPD’s Investigations Division said the agency’s technology investments have enabled faster, more effective investigations — which is especially helpful amid resource limitations and industry-wide challenges with recruitment and retention.
“We are continuing to leverage technology as a force multiplier, and Peregrine allows our personnel to process information far more efficiently than traditional manual methods,” Carrington said. “In this case, Peregrine helped investigators identify key leads and solve a homicide in less than an hour from the time they arrived on scene, highlighting the powerful role this technology plays in improving investigative effectiveness.”
Peregrine turns fragmented data into operational impact for public safety agencies. To learn more, explore how Peregrine supports law enforcement.
Detectives used Peregrine’s mobile application to instantly search records, cross-reference video footage, and confirm the suspect’s identity on scene.
Have a question?
Ask usFor media requests,
contact media@peregrine.io
Your Privacy Choices