Two women arrested during Menifee undercover burglary suppression operation

MENIFEE — Two women, including one who had four burglary-related warrants, were arrested during a coordinated undercover surveillance operation at a Menifee grocery store yesterday evening, Wednesday, Oct. 17. Both women were apprehended at Stater Bros at 29061 Newport Rd.

The six-hour burglary suppression operation was in response to an increase of reported thefts at various grocery stores in the city of Menifee, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Curt Harris explained after the successful operation and arrests.

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Yesterday’s undercover operation included deputies and investigators assigned to Menifee Police Department’s Burglary Suppression Team, Detective Bureau, and Crime Prevention Team.

During the operation, officials observed two different and unrelated women leave the grocery store with items they had failed to pay for and subsequently arrested both.

The alleged suspects, later identified as 26-year-old, Heather Marie Harris, and 28-year-old, Charlee Staci Smith, were later booked into jail on a variety of charges related to the operation. Jail records indicate Smith was arrested around 6 p.m. and Harris was arrested a few hours later.

In addition to yesterday’s shoplifting arrest, Harris was determined to have four outstanding warrants for burglary and at the time of her arrest was in possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the Sgt.

Charlee Smith and Heather Harris were both booked into Cois Byrd Detention Center in Banning on various charges related to the undercover burglary suppression operation.

Including her four burglary-related warrants, Harris was booked on suspicion of shoplifting, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, being under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of stolen property, two counts of petty theft, two counts of failure to appear in court, and failure to pay a fine. All of Harris’ new and warrant related charges were misdemeanors.

Smith was booked on a sole count of shoplifting, a misdemeanor.

Although Smith’s bail was set at $2,500 and Harris’ bail was set at $30,000, both women were cited and released the morning after their arrests, on their promises to appear in court. Both are scheduled to appear on their separate charges at Murrieta’s Southwest Justice Center, Dec. 12.

The goal of Menifee Police Department’s Burglary Suppression Team is to “improve the quality of life for those who reside in the city of Menifee and for those who patronize local community business establishments,” Sgt. Harris later explained. “They will continue to monitor reported thefts and will conduct future operations as warranted.”

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, recently moved to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta 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. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s 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 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 14 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.

 

 

The Menifee Police Department will continue to monitor reported thefts and will conduct future operations as warranted. The goal of BST is to improve the quality of life for those who reside in the city of Menifee and for those who patronize local community business establishments.

Anyone with additional information regarding the above-described investigations is encouraged to contact Officer Dan Brown at the Menifee Police Department by calling (951) 210-1000, or by email at [email protected]. Callers can refer to incident file numbers ME182900134 and ME182900142 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.