HEMET: Stolen vehicle recovery sends employees, shoppers scrambling for cover

HEMET – After receiving a tip about a man spotted driving a stolen vehicle, Hemet police officers swooped in and arrested the driver – who also had several warrants – as he sat inside the car outside a CVS Pharmacy.

The short but tense incident, which happened Monday, March 20 in front of CVS Pharmacy, sent several CVS employees and shoppers ducking for cover.

The pharmacy is located at 3055 W. Florida Avenue in Hemet inside the Village West Shopping Center on the southeast corner of W. Florida and S. Sanderson Avenues.

It is one of two CVS Pharmacies at the same intersection. The other store is located on the southwest side of the intersection, inside the Target Shopping Center.

At the conclusion of their investigation, officers arrested 47-year-old, John Edward Nunez III.

He was booked into the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of receiving known stolen property for being in possession of the stolen car. He was also booked on misdemeanor warrants related to possession of narcotics and narcotics-related paraphernalia, theft, vandalism and failures to pay fines.

The incident began about 9:35 p.m., when an officer spotted a stolen car being driven along city streets. The officer observed the car, described as a white, 2014 Nissan Versa, was occupied by a male driver and two female passengers.

As the driver of the stolen car pulled into the CVS parking lot, the initial officer held back, while numerous officers began to converge on the area.

The officer who had spotted the stolen car maintained a visual on the car and its occupants from a safe distance as other officers were preparing to move in.

He advised the vehicle was parked outside the front of the pharmacy and that the two female passengers were shopping inside the pharmacy.

The driver was at times sitting inside the car and at other times standing outside the car.

Officers quickly formulated a plan to safely detain the three subjects.

At 9:45 p.m., the moment the two women were leaving the store and before Nunez had a chance to start the car or attempt to leave the location, officers rushed in from all different directions, with their lights activated and guns drawn.

Before the two women had time to realize what was happening, officers quickly detained them after they exited the store and walked towards the stolen car. Both women were in handcuffs less than one minute after the incident began.

Once the two women were detained, officers turned their attention to Nunez, who was sitting inside the parked car.

As officers addressed Nunez – holding the man at gunpoint – several curious employees and customers began to gather at the windows towards the side of the store where Nunez and the officers were.

One person, believed to be a customer, even walked out of the store directly into the officers’ line of fire, before he abruptly spun around and ducked back into the store. (See attached video below.)

Officers at the scene immediately requested emergency dispatchers to contact the pharmacy and ask citizens move away from the windows and away from the danger area for their own protection.

Officers then took Nunez into custody without incident.

The entire incident, from the moment officers swooped in until all three subjects were safely detained, lasted less than four minutes.

However, the incident left a lasting impression on Joy Petrudo, a Hemet resident, who was inside the pharmacy during what she called “a very, scary moment,” and jokingly described as “definitely the highlight of an otherwise boring and uneventful day.”

Petrudo said she was left a bit shaken after the incident, but she was impressed with “the professional way” officers quickly handled the tense situation.

“We always hear about all the good our officers do for our city, but this was the first time I ever found myself right there when an arrest was going down,” Judy said.

“They did a great job,” Petrudo opined. “Even under tough conditions and not knowing who they were facing down or if that suspect wanted to hurt or kill them, (the officers) recognized the danger to other citizens in the area.”

Petrudo continued, “In spite of all of the danger they were facing, (officers) were still concerned for the safety of those of us who were too engrossed in what was happening right in front of us to realize we were potentially in immediate danger.”

“Until (dispatchers) called the store, none of us who were watching from inside even realized we were in the line of fire,” Petrudo said. “When I heard the announcement, I think I moved faster than I have for a very long time!”

“Even though we were oblivious to the danger we were in, luckily, the officers were looking out for our safety for us.”

Officers later released the car, which had been reported stolen from the Hemet area, to its registered owner who responded to the location after officers had recovered the vehicle.

No information was immediately available regarding the two female passengers who officer’s initially detained.

Although his bail was set at $20,000, an online jail records search revealed Nunez was released from jail the same day he was booked after receiving a citation and new court date for his warrants.

As of Wednesday evening, March 22, Nunez had still not been charged with any crime related to this incident or arrest.

A Riverside County Superior Courts records search revealed Nunez has an extensive criminal history in Riverside County, with more than two dozen arrests dating back to 2005.

Nunez’ prior arrests include charges of domestic battery; possession of marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine and other controlled substances; resisting arrest; theft; shoplifting; and multiple violations of domestic violence related restraining orders and violations of probation.

His next scheduled court appearance is  at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta May 16.

Anyone with information about this incident or arrest is encouraged to contact Hemet police officials at (951) 765-2400. Callers can refer to incident file number 17-2644 and can remain anonymous.

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Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents video

 

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.