Crime & Safety
$20K Reward Offered For Suspect Who Shot, Paralyzed Corona Boxer
At the time of the attack, Izaac Colunga was ascending the featherweight amateur ranks.
RIVERSIDE, CA — Riverside police notified the public Thursday that a $20,000 reward is available to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for shooting and paralyzing a 27-year-old amateur boxer.
Izaac Colunga of Corona was shot alongside another man during a gathering at a Riverside home in 2019. Colunga was paralyzed from the neck down because of the wounds he suffered.
Last year, the Riverside Police Department offered a $10,000 reward in the hope of cracking the case, but no new leads were generated.
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On Tuesday night, the Riverside City Council approved RPD's request to renew the offer and increase it to $20,000. The new reward will expire in 60 days.
According to Riverside police spokesman Ryan Railsback, about 12:10 a.m. on March 3, 2019, Colunga was with a group at a residence in the 6400 block of Nidever Avenue, near Streeter Avenue, when an unidentified person opened fire inside the house.
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Colunga was struck in the back of the neck, at the spine, and another man suffered a minor graze wound, investigators said.
Despite multiple surgeries, Colunga remains unable to walk. Video footage posted by ESNEWS in April 2020 shows community outpouring for Colunga during a birthday party for the former boxer.
At the time of the attack, Colunga was ascending the featherweight amateur ranks, with a 3-0 record and two knockouts.
Railsback said detectives have not uncovered a specific motive for the shooting, and no one has come forward with details that might identify the shooter.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the Robbery-Homicide Unit at 951-353-7138, or HomicideColdCase@RiversideCA.gov. Anonymous tips can also be sent to rpdtips@riversideca.gov.
Colunga's shooting was preceded by another tragedy that struck the family. His father, 50-year-old Ruben “Reno” Colunga, was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver last summer, according to ESNEWS.
Ruben had quit his job to care for his son and was his caretaker every day since the shooting, according to reports.
