RIVERSIDE: Citizen’s report of mail theft leads to vehicle pursuit and arrests

February 15, 2016 Trevor Montgomery

Trevor Montgomery

Riverside Police officers arrested Dante Lang for numerous charges, following a suspected theft of mail and vehicle pursuit.

An observant citizen who saw what he believed was suspicious behavior led to a vehicle pursuit that began in Riverside and ended in Norco on Feb. 9. Officers detained four subjects after the end of the pursuit, leading to the arrest of three adults. Officers released a juvenile occupant from the vehicle to the custody of his parents.

The incident began when a concerned citizen flagged down a Riverside Police officer near Stover Street and Arlington Avenue at about 8:10 a.m. The witness reported seeing 4 unknown subjects slowly driving through the neighborhood stealing mail. The citizen was able to provide a general description of the vehicle to the officer, who began checking the area for the car and subjects.

The officer spotted the vehicle driving in the area of Arlington and La Sierra Avenues. Based on the description provided by the witness, the officer activated his overhead lights and siren and attempted to make a traffic stop. The driver failed to yield, fleeing from the officer at a high rate of speed. At that time the officer initiated a vehicle pursuit.

A records check on the vehicle’s license plate revealed the car was reported stolen from the City of Rancho Cucamonga. The pursuit ended when the driver stopped in a residential Norco community and the four occupants inside the car all fled and hid in different yards.

Additional officers converged on the area and with help from Riverside PD’s Air Support Unit “Air1,” officers quickly established a perimeter. Officers eventually located and detained all four suspects, including three adults and one juvenile male.

During their investigation, officers located mail and other items inside the vehicle that did not appear to belong to the occupants. A press release from the department stated, “Many pieces of mail were found inside the stolen car so the Postal Inspector was notified and took jurisdiction over the mail-theft portion of this investigation.” According to the press release, the Postal Inspectors will be conducting an investigation to determine the proper owners of the mail and if it was actually stolen.

Based on their investigation, officers arrested two adult female occupants and issued them citations for obstructing police. The male juvenile was not charged.

Officers identified Dantay Malik Lang, 23, of Riverside, as the driver of the stolen vehicle. Official records show Lang was found and detained near Grulla Court and California Avenue. In addition to the stolen vehicle, Lang had a warrant for his arrest and officers found he was in possession of methamphetamine and burglary tools.

Officers arrested Lang and he was booked into jail for 5 felonies and 6 misdemeanors; including auto theft, possession of stolen property, possession of illegal drugs, vandalism, obstructing police, two counts of hit and run causing property damage and failure to yield. He was also booked for his warrant.

A jail records search revealed Lang was released from jail on $25,000 bail on Feb 13. His arraignment has been scheduled for Feb. 24, at 8:30 a.m. at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

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