Off-Duty Deputy Jailed On Suspicion Of Killing Pub Patron

12/22 UPDATE at 11:50 a.m.: The Riverside County Sheriff's Department has confirmed the deputy's I.D. as Dayle Long. He has been with the department for 10 years and has been assigned to the Sheriff's Court Services West Division. His peace officer powers have been suspended. He will be placed on administrative leave if released from custody, according to the department.

12/22 ORIGINAL POST: An off-duty Riverside County sheriff's deputy was in police custody today on suspicion of fatally shooting a man in a Murrieta bar, according to police.

The deputy allegedly shot 36-year-old Samuel Vanettes of Winchester at Spelly's Pub and Grille at 40675 Murrieta Hot Springs Road around 8 p.m. Wednesday, Murrieta police Lt. Tony Conrad said.

Vanettes was shot several times and died at the scene, Conrad said.

Police arrived and "and contacted a male just outside the front door of the business," Conrad said. "That male immediately identified himself to the officers as an off-duty Riverside sheriff's deputy."

The deputy was identified as the shooter and arrested without incident. His identity will be released when the sheriff's department completes an internal investigation, Conrad said.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department Inmate Information System, 42-year-old Dayle William Long was booked into Southwest Detention Center on suspicion of murder at 4:43 a.m. today after being arrested by Murrieta PD last night at 11:30 p.m. He is being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled in court tomorrow.

According to the Inmate Information System, Long is described as having red hair, blue eyes, and is 5'11" weighing 220 pounds.

Conrad declined to identify the shooter but confirmed that a suspect was booked at Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of murder.

No details have been released regarding where the deputy was stationed. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department has several stations throughout the county, including one in Lake Elsinore. The cities of Lake Elsinore and Wildomar both contract for police services through the sheriff's department.

It's unclear what may have triggered the shooting.

A Spelly's bystander said several shots were fired during the incident.

"Across the bar there was a little bit of an altercation going on, it doesn't really seem like it would be anything outside of the normal at a bar you know... Then you heard about four shots, may have been more," the bystander said.

Murrieta Patch is reporting that a scuffle may have broken out over a game of darts. for the story.

Spelly's Pub and Grill posted on its Facebook page around 11 p.m. Wednesday, "This is a horrible tragedy that happened to unfortunately take place at Spelly's. We all know that the world can be a scary place and it is horrible when it hits us so close to home in our close knit town. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone concerned."     

The Murrieta Police Department's Detective Bureau and the Riverside County District Attorney's Office are investigating the shooting. Anyone with information about the case was asked to call the Murrieta Police Department at (951) 696-3615. --City News Service and Toni McAllister contributed to this report.