HEMET/RIVERSIDE: Two women arrested after robberies of Target stores
HEMET/RIVERSIDE – Two women were arrested after they allegedly hit a total of four Target stores throughout the day stealing baby formula. One of the incidents occurred at Target in the 2700 block of Canyon Springs Parkway Wednesday, Sept. 28. Loss prevention officers stopped he two women as they were leaving the store while trying to steal over $1,000 in baby formula from the Canyon Springs Target store, according to a press release from Riverside police officials.
Employees and loss prevention officers at the Riverside Target attempted to detain the two women whom they had caught stealing the large amount of baby formula. “While being detained, both women fought with loss prevention officers,” according to a Riverside police official. By fighting with the employees the two women elevated a simple shoplifting incident to a robbery.
The two women, later identified as Chanel Walker, 29, of San Bernardino and Alyssa Priscilla Luces, 20, of Rialto, were arrested and later booked into county jail.
Walker and Luces were arrested for a variety of charges after stealing or attempting to steal thousands of dollars in baby formula from four different area Target stores.
During the violent confrontation one of the alleged suspects sprayed the loss prevention officers with pepper spray. The other alleged suspect had her 2-year-old baby with her and the baby was also overcome by pepper spray during the suspects’ attempt to escape from loss prevention officers.
Riverside police officers responded to Target to assist in detaining the two women and conduct a shoplifting/robbery investigation; however, the two women were able to escape from loss prevention officers before the officers arrival.
After the incident, Target officials notified other surrounding stores about the two suspects.
Later in their shift, Riverside officers were advised the same two suspects were stopped and detained at the Target store in Hemet for attempting the same thing.
Riverside police officers responded to Hemet and took custody of the suspects and the child. Both suspects were later positively identified by loss prevention officers.
Paramedics evaluated the baby, who was taken to a local hospital due to her being sprayed in the face with the pepper spray by the suspects during the earlier incident.
The baby was later released to the custody of a family member.
A jail record search revealed Walker was booked on suspicion of three counts of robbery, conspiracy to commit a felony, possession and use of a tear gas device (pepper-spray), child endangerment/willful harm to a child and providing false information to a peace officer, and possession of paraphernalia.
Luces was booked on suspicion of three counts of robbery, conspiracy to commit a felony, possession and use of a tear gas device (pepper-spray), child endangerment/willful harm to a child, and false impersonation of another person.
She was also booked on charges related to an arrest warrant for charges of conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor, theft of personal property, driving without a license, hit and run resulting in property damage, failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility, and failure to appear in court or pay assessed fines.
Both women are being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional facility in lieu of $100,000 bail and are scheduled to be seen at the Riverside Hall of Justice Oct. 12.
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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.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, Personnel and Background Investigations and he finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator.
Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.