A man who had received mental health treatment and had a warrant out for his arrest after failing to appear in court on an assault charge has been arrested in a stabbing attack in Riverside that killed another man.
John Larry Perryman III, 34, was originally detained as a “person of interest” hours after a slaying on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Late that afternoon, Perryman was booked into Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of murder and assault causing great bodily injury. He was being held without bail.
The name of the deceased man has not been publicly announced.
“At this point in the investigation, it does not appear that the victim and suspect knew each other, and detectives are still working to determine a possible motive,” Officer Ryan Railsback, a Police Department spokesman, wrote in an email.
The attack was reported around 12:20 p.m. on Tuesday. Officers found the victim suffering from stab wounds on University Avenue between Market and Main streets. He died in a hospital, Railsback said.
Perryman was detained about 5 p.m., around two miles to the east, near 14th Street and Sedgwick Avenue.
In June 2023, Perryman was charged with assault causing great bodily injury. He pleaded not guilty, and after being examined by psychiatrists, an order for commitment and mental incompetence was filed in January 2024, Riverside County Superior Court records show. A document confirming that Perryman’s mental competence had been restored was filed in April 2024.
The case was assigned to mental health court in July 2025 after the judge declared doubt about Perryman’s competency to understand the charges and assist in his defense, said Molly Smith, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney’s Office.
On Sept. 8, the judge appointed a psychiatrist to evaluate Perryman and scheduled a hearing on the doctor’s report for Nov. 12. But Perryman failed to show up, Smith said, prompting the judge to issue a warrant for Perryman’s arrest.
Perryman had not been charged in the stabbing case as of Thursday night.
He has convictions in Riverside County for hit and run causing injury or death, evading police, hit and run causing property damage and vehicle theft, Superior Court records show.
