JURUPA VALLEY: Two arrested after leading officers on pursuit in stolen vehicle
JURUPA VALLEY — A LoJack hit on a stolen vehicle led to a short police pursuit and eventual arrest of two men who officials say ran from the stolen vehicle earlier this morning. The pair was arrested several miles apart after attempting to elude officers by fleeing into the Santa Ana River bottom.
After they were apprehended, Juan Gabriel Ortiz, 29, and Jesus Alejandro Rodriguez, 20, both of Jurupa Valley, were booked into Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside. Ortiz was booked on suspicion of recklessly evading police and receiving known stolen property as well as a misdemeanor warrant for indecent exposure and Rodriguez was booked on suspicion of receiving known stolen property.
The incident began about 9 a.m., after a Riverside County Sheriff’s helicopter “Star-9” received a LoJack notification of a stolen vehicle while flying over the area of Limonite and Pacific Avenues in Jurupa Valley.
The helicopter’s aviation crew directed Jurupa Valley Station sheriff’s deputies and a K-9 handler to the area and the ground deputies quickly located the vehicle, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Julio De Leon explained after the pursuit and arrest. When deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the stolen vehicle the driver refused to yield and immediately sped away.
The short pursuit led to the Santa Ana riverbed near the City of Riverside, at which time Riverside PD responded in force, sending their Aviation Unit in “Air-1” as well as patrol officers and a K-9 handler.
After entering the riverbed, the driver, who was later determined to be Ortiz and his passenger, later identified as Rodriguez, fled from the vehicle in a further attempt to elude officials.
The combined efforts of both RSO’s and Riverside PD’s Aviation Units, as well as patrol officers and K-9 handlers from both agencies eventually paid off and Ortiz was found and both men were apprehended. Ortiz was found along a portion of the river bottom adjacent to Crest Steel, at the end of General Road and Rodriguez was found several miles away in the area of Riverview Drive and Ave. Juan Diaz.
While searching the stolen vehicle deputies located “several household items … that appear to be stolen as well,” said De Leon, who explained, “Further investigation is being conducted to identify the victims of the additional stolen property.”
An online jail records search revealed Ortiz remains in custody, held on $100,000 bail, and he is scheduled to be arraigned at Riverside Hall Of Justice, Feb. 22. Rodriguez was released within hours of his arrest after posting $10,000 bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned at Riverside Hall Of Justice, April 18.
Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to contact Deputy Garza from the Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station at (951) 955-2600. Callers can refer to incident file number JV180480024 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.
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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.
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.