MORENO VALLEY: Two adults, 1 juvenile arrested after armed robbery, pursuit

MORENO VALLEY – Two adult men and a juvenile female were arrested after they were allegedly involved in an armed robbery and police pursuit Monday, Dec. 13. The robbery happened at a business in the 25900 block of Iris Avenue in Moreno Valley.

At the end of the pursuit, deputies arrested the three suspects who allegedly robbed the business. The two adults were identified as Jerry Angel Cervantes, 19, of Indio and Alejandro Ray Arce, 33, of Indio. The 17-year-old girl’s name was withheld due to her age, according to Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Steven Favero.

The incident began when deputies assigned to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Moreno Valley Police station were dispatched to the business at 10:50 p.m., after someone called 911 to report an armed robbery that had just occurred.

Witnesses told Riverside County emergency dispatchers that two suspects brandished a firearm and stole the cash drawer containing an undisclosed amount of money. The suspects fled the location in a vehicle.

Deputies spotted the suspect vehicle within minutes of the dispatched call near Cactus Avenue and Perris Boulevard. Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic enforcement stop at which time the driver fled from the deputies at a high rate of speed.

During the pursuit, the driver of the getaway vehicle drove in an extremely reckless manner, without regard for the safety of other citizens or pursuing deputies.

The pursuit ended when the driver came to a stop at the University off-ramp in the City of Riverside. Officers from the Riverside Police Department, University of California Police Department, and California Highway Patrol assisted the deputies in taking the suspects into custody.

The three occupants from the vehicle were detained without incident and held for further investigation.

While searching the suspect’s vehicle, officers located the stolen cash drawer and other evidence linking the suspects to the robbery.

Based on the recovered evidence and the witness statements, deputies arrested all three suspects. Cervantes and Arce were booked into Robert Presley Detention Center. The juvenile was booked into Riverside Juvenile Hall. All three were charged with armed robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, according to Favero. 

“The Moreno Valley Police Department has a “Zero Tolerance” policy toward criminal activity and will be vigilant in investigating all crimes,” Favero stated. “The Police Department encourages citizens and business owners to report any criminal activity.”

“The Moreno Valley Police Department would like to thank the surrounding police agencies who participated in the apprehension of the suspects in this case,” Favero continued. “This exemplifies the positive collaborative working relationship police agencies have with one another.”

A jail record search revealed both Cervantes and Arce are being held in lieu of $100,000 bail and both are scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall of Justice Dec. 12.

Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Deputy Hardin, at the Moreno Valley Police Department by calling (951) 486-6700. Callers can refer to incident file number MV163480529  and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit an anonymous tip by email to [email protected] or by using the Sheriff’s Crime Tips 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.