EASTVALE: Officials credit social media, vigilant citizens in stolen dirt bike recovery, arrests

EASTVALE — Authorities are crediting social media and observant citizens with the same-day recovery of a stolen dirt bike and arrest the next day of two people who officials say were responsible for the Wednesday, Oct. 18 theft. The motorcycle theft happened on the 13000 block of Running Deer Circle in Eastvale.

After the theft and arrests Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Brian Gutierrez explained in a written press release, “The leads generated by the citizens of Eastvale helped solve this crime.”

“The victim posted a picture of the stolen dirt bike, via social media,” said Gutierrez. “Numerous residents of Eastvale reported both on social media and through calls for service with dispatch as to seeing two individuals riding on the reported stolen dirt bike.”

Those calls, social media posts and photographs helped officials quickly solve and close the theft investigation.

Calling social media a “great tool for law enforcement as well as community members to be informed with crime in their communities,” Gutierrez thanked the “(vigilant) citizens of the community of Eastvale” for their help in quickly solving the crime and helping the victim recover his stolen motorcycle.

The investigation began about 9 a.m., when deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Eastvale Police Station were notified regarding the theft. The victim reported that his dirt bike was stolen from inside his home’s garage.

After reporting the crime, the victim went onto social media and posted about the motorcycle theft and requested Eastvale area residents to be on the lookout for his stolen property.

Within hours area residents spotted, photographed and began posting onto Facebook about seeing the two alleged thief’s racing the dirt bike recklessly at and around an Eastvale high school.

One area resident, Lisa Hestera-Loffelmacher posted a photograph of the two racing the stolen motorcycle near Eleanor Roosevelt High School, in Eastvale; along with a warning to the parents of the two.

“If these are your children you should know that they are riding a stolen motorcycle like idiots down Scholar Way and racing through the high school parking lot during pick up after school,” Hestera-Loffelmacher wrote on Facebook’s ‎Eastvale Talk.

“Police have been notified as have the resource officers at the high school,” Hestera-Loffelmacher continued. “Do the right thing and make your kids turn themselves in before they get arrested.”

The same day of the theft, at about 7 p.m., observant citizens notified the victim via social media that his stolen dirt bike had been abandoned at a corner near his residence; at which time the victim located his dirt bike and deputies recovered the motorcycle.

The day after the theft of the dirt bike – with help from photographs citizens took of the pair on the motorcycle – officials identified, located and arrested 18-year-old, Destin Arion J-Brent and a 15-year-old, juvenile male. The minor was not publicly identified due to his age.

J-Brent was booked into Robert Presley Detention Center and the minor was booked into Juvenile Hall in Riverside for possession of stolen property. Both are Eastvale residents.

An online jail records search indicated J-Brent was arrested at the Eastvale Police/Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station on Mission Boulevard. He remains in custody, held on $10,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall Of Justice, Oct. 23.

Anyone with additional information about this incident and investigation is encouraged to call Corporal Torres at the Jurupa Valley Station, 951-955-2600. Persons who wish to report criminal activity and wish to remain anonymous can call crime stoppers at 800-78-CRIME (800-782-7463) or 800-47-DRUGS (800-473-7847). Callers can refer to incident file number EV172910018 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form or leave anonymous information at tipline or we tip.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County 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.