UPDATED: San Jacinto carjacking suspect pleads not guilty at arraignment

UPDATE: 09/23/2016 1 p.m.

RIVERSIDE – A convicted felon accused of using a firearm to carjack a San Jacinto resident’s vehicle pleaded not guilty today to carjacking and using a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony.

Jorge Alejandro Ojeda Jr., 40, of San Jacinto, was arrested Friday, Sept. 9 after Riverside County sheriff’s officials conducted an investigation into the carjacking the occurred the previous day on Thursday, Sept. 8.

In an earlier press release after Ojeda Jr.’s arrest, Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. Bill Guimont explained that on the afternoon of Sept. 8, Ojeda displayed a gun and physically removed a victim from their vehicle at the intersection of Scovell Avenue and State Street. He then sped away in the victim’s car.

The victim, whose name was not released, was not injured and immediately called 911 to report the incident.

Guimont said deputies arrived moments later but despite a thorough search of the area they did not locate the Ojeda Jr. or the victim’s car.

A deputy spotted Ojeda Jr. in the stolen vehicle the following evening in the 200 block of Bonita Avenue. The deputy arrested the alleged suspect without incident.

Ojeda was arraigned before Superior Court Judge Richard Fields, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Sept. 30 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Ojeda Jr.’s bail was set at $190,000. He was previously being held without bail.

A jail record search revealed Ojeda Jr. is being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

According to court records, the defendant has prior convictions for possession of illegal drugs and theft.

 

ORIGINAL STORY – San Jacinto carjacking suspect arrested

SAN JACINTO – A man was arrested Friday, Sept. 9 for a carjacking that happened the day before in the area of Scovell Avenue and State Street in San Jacinto.

Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s San Jacinto Police Station responded to the location after Riverside County dispatchers received a 911 call from the victim reporting a carjacking that just occurred Thursday, Sept. 8, at 5:44 p.m.

“Deputies arrived within minutes and determined a male suspect had forcibly taken the victims vehicle and fled the location,” according to Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Bill Guimont.

The victim was not injured during the incident.

During the course of their investigation deputies identified the suspect as Jorge Alejandro Ojeda Jr., 40, of San Jacinto.

Deputies located Ojeda Jr. in the 200 Block of Bonita Avenue Friday, Sept. 9 at about 10:20 p.m. Based on their investigation deputies arrested Ojeda Jr. and transported him to the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility.

A jail record search revealed Ojeda Jr. was booked for carjacking, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and violation of parole. He is being held without bail and was scheduled to be seen at an unspecified court today, Sept. 14.

Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Officer McQueeney at the San Jacinto Police Department at (951) 654-2702. Callers can refer to incident file number I162520089 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.