Elsinore man arrested with stolen truck, meth

LAKE ELSINORE — A man who officials say was driving a stolen truck that had been used in a previous crime was arrested after a Lake Elsinore traffic stop, Wednesday afternoon, July 10. During the man’s arrest deputies found he was in possession of a large amount of methamphetamine, according to officials.

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At around 2:30 p.m., deputies from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station’s Problem Oriented Policing Team, spotted a pickup truck traveling on Mission Trail and “recognized a Ford F250 truck as a vehicle used in a previous crime,” Riverside Sheriff’s Sgt. Glenn Warrington said after the man’s arrest. 

Although Warrington did not specify the earlier crime the truck was allegedly used in, he said deputies soon determined the Ford the man was driving had been stolen from the city of Riverside.

Jose Franco was arrested after a Lake Elsinore traffic stop when deputies determined he was in possession of a stolen pickup truck and a large amount of methamphetamine. RSO booking photo

Deputies initiated a traffic enforcement stop on the pickup and contacted the driver, later identified as Jose Daniel Franco, 35, of Lake Elsinore.

Because he was in possession of a stolen vehicle, POP Team deputies ultimately arrested Franco without incident.

During a subsequent search after Franco’s arrest, deputies located 28 grams of a “white crystalline-type substance” in the man’s possession, that was later determined to be methamphetamine.   

Based on their investigation, Franco was booked into Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of possession of stolen property, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. A jail record search indicated Franco remains in custody on $10,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at Murrieta’s Southwest Justice Center, tomorrow morning, July 12.

The sheriff’s investigation ongoing investigation and officials have used the opportunity to remind area residents and businesses that community policing involves partnerships between law enforcement and all community members. Business owners and residents are encouraged to report suspicious activity directly to law enforcement by calling Sheriff’s Dispatch at (951) 776-1099, or by calling 911 if the matter is an emergency.

Anyone with further information is encouraged to contact Deputy Talbott at (951) 245-3300 at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station. Callers can refer to incident file number L191910077 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year 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 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.