A pleasant community in Riverside County, Norco has a population of about 30,000 residents. The city sports the motto of “Horse Town USA.” The motto fits with ordinances on the books in Norco. City ordinances mandate that architecture in Norco must reflect a “Western theme.” Buildings in the city must feature design attributes that are “rural, informal, traditional, rustic, low-profile, and equestrian oriented.”

A good percentage of the households in Norco have children under the age of 18. Indeed, as of the last census, more than 40 percent of homes in the city had minor children.

One of the reasons people are drawn to reside in Norco, including not only families but individuals from all walks of life, is the city’s’ low crime rate. Norco has one of the lowest crime rates in Riverside County and the state of California.

The violent crime rate in Norco is particularly low. A scale has been established to rate the violent crime rate in communities in the United States, a scale that runs from 1 to 100. 1 represents the lowest crime rate possible, 100 the highest.

The average rate of violent crime in the United States is 31. The average violent crime rate across the state of California is 34. The crime rate in Riverside County is 44. The violent crime rate in Norco is 14.

Murder-Suicide Stuns Norco Residents

Because of the low violent crime rate in the city, when a murder or assault occurs in Norco, it is newsworthy. A particularly shocking murder, accompanied by a suicide, was especially shocking to the residents of Norco.

Roger Winch was a 72-year old man married to a 35-year old woman named Katy. Roger had made his career as the owner of a successful car repair business, located in Orange County. He eventually sold the business, moved to Norco with his wife, where they had lived for a decade. They had a home in a rural part of Norco near Ingalls Park. After leaving his car repair business, Roger Winch was said to have created a successful enterprise selling beef jerky at fairs across the state.

At about 6:00 p.m. on a Monday in May, a man who lived across the street from the Winch residence through he heard two gunshots in quick succession coming from the Winch household. The neighbor called 911 and officers from the Norco Station of the Riverside Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to the Winch residence.

Upon arriving at the scene, the officers received no response when they knocked on the front door. They went around the house to the backyard. It was on the patio that the officers found the bodies of Roger and Katy Winch.

The sheriff’s deputies, together with the Riverside County Coroner, conducted an investigation at the scene. In addition, the coroner removed the bodies and performed autopsies. The investigators concluded that Roger Winch had shot and killed his wife and then took his own life.

Once law enforcement and the coroner released the scene of the homicide and suicide, the premises were released to a relative of the deceased couple. This family member took responsibility for the cleanup of the scene of the homicide and suicide at the Winch residence.

Biohazard Cleanup in Norco

In the aftermath of a suicide, homicide, accident, and unattended death, the need for biohazard cleanup in Norco can arise. Biohazard cleanup can prove to be a risky proposition because it involves the elimination or remediation of dangerous pathogens. Blood, bodily fluids, and other biological materials can contain harmful and even deadly pathogens like:

  • HIV
  • MRSA
  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis C

When a person is faced with cleaning up the aftermath of a murder, suicide, accident, or unattended death, the surest course to take to prevent exposure to these dangerous pathogens is engaging the professional services of a biohazard cleanup specialist. In addition, an individual that has lost a family member because of murder, suicide, accident or unattended death, faces an emotional toll and grieving process that can be overwhelming. This grief, these emotions, are only compounded if an individual personally undertakes the cleanup process.

Norco Grief Therapists

Oftentimes, a person facing the bereavement process that follows a sudden or violent death of a loved one needs the assistance of a grief support professional. There are Norco grief therapists that can assist a person in coming to terms with the untimely, traumatic death of a loved one. These include:

Nina Miller
Norco, California 92860
(909) 784-5997

Tyra Bulter
2641 Hamner Lane, Suite 210
Norco, California 92860
(949) 536-7864

Positive Methods
Norco, California 92860
(619) 485-6852

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