Riverside County has agreed to pay $495,000 to settle a lawsuit related to a 2024 arrest depicted in a viral video, in which a sheriff’s deputy said he “owned” the house he had come to after a noise complaint. The sheriff’s office itself found the deputy’s actions violated department policy.
Winchester residents Adele Shirey and her daughter Destiny Shirey received the settlement this year after suing Riverside County and Deputy Martin Huizar in U.S. District Court in June of 2025. They claimed in the lawsuit Huizar “slammed” Adele into the wall before arresting her.
Huizar and other deputies entered the home without a warrant or other valid reason, the lawsuit claims. A video posted online showed Shirey saying she would speak to the deputy outside, only for him to refuse to leave.
“Now that I’m inside your house, I own your house right now,” he tells Shirey in the video.
The line contributed to video of the incident going viral on social media. Influencers who focus on police misconduct have highlighted the arrest, which has wracked up hundreds of thousands of views across multiple videos.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that allegations Huizar violated department policy were “sustained,” but it ignored questions about what policy he violated. The department also pushed back against questions from The Desert Sun regarding the high settlement amount.
“The settlement in this case is irrelevant and solely a business decision between attorneys, insurance companies, and the county’s risk management,” Sheriff Chad Bianco said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office and the county did not answer questions relating to potential disciplinary actions against Huizar.
“The County is committed to providing services with professionalism,” county spokesperson Brooke Federico said in an email. “We are prohibited from discussing law enforcement personnel matters.”
Shirey’s attorney, Dale Galipo, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Huizar had been sent to the house in the early hours of July 4, 2024, to investigate a noise complaint, according to the lawsuit. In the footage, Huizar can be seen ringing the doorbell before the door is opened and closed by an unknown person in the house.
The deputy had been standing a few steps away from the door when it was first opened and closed. He then reopened it and entered the house before being confronted by Shirey, who appears to be the only adult present among a gathering of teenagers.
The lawsuit says Shirey had been hosting a small group of friends in her backyard, and they were speaking at a normal volume. The lawsuit claims the neighbor who made the noise complaint had done so frequently before.
Once the deputy enters the home, Shirey says she will talk to the deputy outside, according to the video. Huizar points to people who are filming the encounter and says he is inside the house because “they opened the door and ran from me.”
A confrontation is then shown in the video between Shirey in the deputy as he attempts to place her under arrest. Following her arrest, Shirey was charged with resisting, delaying or obstructing a peace officer. The charges were later dropped.
Documents signed in late January 2026 reviewed by The Desert Sun show the settlement compensated Shirey for the arrest while not requiring the county to admit fault.
The settlement was required to be approved by the Board of Supervisors within 90 days of signing. This occurred during part of a March 24 meeting that was closed to the public, known as closed session.
After the incident became widely known, Shirey fundraised for her legal fees, collecting $24,644 from 743 donors.
“It is truly amazing and powerful to have you all stand behind me in this fight,” Shirey said on the fundraising page in May 2025. “I have not forgot about you all.”
Sam Morgen covers local government for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Woman gets $495,000 over viral arrest; deputy said he ‘owned’ her home
Reporting by Sam Morgen, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sam Morgen, Palm Springs Desert Sun | USA TODAY Network
