HEMET: Parolee nabbed trying to steal car
HEMET — A parolee was arrested after being caught in the process of attempting to steal a vehicle, Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 19. The incident and arrest, that was initially reported as a vehicle burglary in progress, happened in the carport area of a multi-family dwelling near the corner of Mayflower Place and N. Mayflower Street in Hemet.
Numerous marked and unmarked Hemet PD and CHP vehicles converged on the scene. Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents photo
After an investigation, officials arrested 25-year-old, Nicholas Richie Wayne Moss. He was booked into Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of attempted vehicle theft, being under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of the terms of his state parole.
Hemet Police and California Highway Patrol officers responded to the incident at 4:46 p.m., after a woman called 911 to report seeing someone in the process of breaking into her vehicle, a burgundy Cadillac.
The caller told 911 dispatchers the alleged suspect was a black male, and she provided officials with a detailed description of the man as well as his clothing.
Within minutes, officials converged on the location and quickly discovered the alleged suspect, later identified as Moss, still inside the victim’s car and hiding. According to jail records, Moss was in custody by 4:53 p.m., just seven minutes after the 911 call was received and dispatched.
Officials initially detained Moss without incident; however, according to witnesses from the scene, the man allegedly “got all aggressive with the cops,” one witness at the scene explained.
Officials found the alleged suspect hiding inside the car he had been attempting to steal. Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents photo
The witness declined to be identified, saying because of previous interactions with the man, who he called “addicted and unstable,” he was fearful for his safety and they safety of his wife and children.
Moss was found to be in possession of a hammer and the uncooperative man was handcuffed while officials conducted further investigation.
During their investigation, officials interviewed several witnesses, including the original 911 caller. Officials also determined Moss had a felony warrant in another county; however it was not immediately known what the warrant was for.
Based on their investigation and evidence at the scene, officers determined Moss had been attempting to steal the victim’s car, not burglarize it.
An online jail records search revealed Moss was still in custody and was being held without bail, due to his parole violation and out-of-county warrant. He is scheduled to be seen at an unspecified court Sept. 21.
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Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents video
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Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as 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, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries 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.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 27 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 14 grandchildren.