RIVERSIDE: Knife-wielding robbery suspect arrested after foot pursuit

RIVERSIDE – A man who was allegedly armed with a “hunting-style knife” was arrested after fleeing from police officers during a robbery investigation Wednesday, March 29. The incident happened in the 7400 block of Indiana Avenue in Riverside.

After he was apprehended, Patrick Lee Arguello Jr., 29, of Riverside, was arrested and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of robbery and resisting arrest. Arguello was also booked for a misdemeanor warrant for theft and failure to appear in court.

Additionally, Arguello was charged of trespassing; however, it was not immediately known if that charge was related to Wednesday’s arrest or the arrest warrant.

City of Riverside police officers responded to Indiana Avenue about 9:50 p.m., regarding the report of an armed robbery. The victim told investigating officers the suspect, who was later identified as Arguello, was armed with a large, “hunting-style” knife.

 

Officials did not specify the nature of the robbery, what was stolen or if the stolen items were recovered and returned to the owner.

Officers began searching the area and spotted Arguello a “short distance” from where the robbery had occurred.

While officers were moving in, Arguello fled on foot from them, running along a set of railroad tracks into the Casa Blanca neighborhood.

Officers established a perimeter around the area and with assistance from the department’s Air Support Unit – Air-1 – officers located Arguello. He was taken into custody without further incident.

According to officials, the victim later positively identified Arguello as the person who had robbed them.

 

During the investigation officers also detained a female subject. Investigating officers determined she had not been involved in the robbery; however, she was in possession of a replica handgun and had misdemeanor warrants.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor 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 and breaking his back in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.