“Santa and his elf” help nab Riverside car thieves during undercover operation
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A City of Riverside Police Department detective and officer working undercover while dressed as Santa Claus and his elf helped with the apprehension of two of three men who stole a vehicle at a popular Riverside shopping center Thursday, December 10.
The holiday retail theft enforcement operation, dubbed “Santa’s Intervention”, was spearheaded by Riverside PD’s Property Crimes Unit, and was conducted outside the Target store in the Canyon Springs shopping center, one of the busier shopping centers in Riverside.
The day’s operation yielded a total of five arrests, with another person identified for vehicle theft who is still being sought.
LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:
Two women dead, third injured after Hemet hit and run – DUI driver arrested
Woman who ran red light killed in Perris crash with big-rig
San Jacinto woman, 28, ID’d after deadly SR-60 rollover
For several hours, detectives and officers worked directly with loss prevention specialists at the Target, conducting video surveillance from inside the store while other detectives and officers, including Santa and his elf, remained outside to help detain any theft suspects as they left the store.
A local transient, “known to be a habitual thief at this particular store”, was arrested for trespassing and being in possession of illegal narcotics during Thursday’s enforcement operation. RPD photo
One arrest involved a woman who walked out of the store with a shopping cart full of stolen items after making no attempt to pay for the merchandise. “This woman was also in possession of illegal narcotics,” RPD said after the operation.
Another arrest involved a local transient who was known to be a habitual thief at this particular store.
“Loss Prevention and officers recognized him as he entered the store but stopped him before he could steal again,” said RPD. “He was subsequently arrested for trespassing and being in possession of illegal narcotics.”
SEE ALSO: 25 Christmas Stories To Warm Your Heart
The third person arrested was Patrick Seilsopour, 55, of Murrieta, who allegedly stole expensive Lego toy sets totaling $1,000.
As Seilsopour left the store with the Lego toys he was immediately apprehended by Santa Claus and his elf.
“He was later booked into jail but unfortunately due to the current bail schedules for ‘non-violent’ offenses, he was quickly released with a Notice to Appear citation,” explained RPD; adding, “Mr. Seilsopour is believed to have committed similar retail thefts at several Target stores in the region.”
Toward the conclusion of the operation, detectives received information about three suspicious men seen casing vehicles in the shopping center’s parking lot.
“One of the undercover detectives spotted these three men as they were in the act of stealing an older white Honda CR-V,” said RPD.
Two of the men saw the detective and ran off, at which time Santa and his elf jumped into action and helped apprehend both men, one of whom resisted Santa’s effort to arrest him.
Santa Claus and his elf, actually an undercover RPD detective and officer, helped apprehend two men who were seen casing vehicles and helped another man steal an SUV from the shopping center. The third man got away, but has been identified, according to officials. RPD photo
“One suspect resisted arrest but was taken into custody with the help of our undercover Santa, and the second was detained by the undercover elf,” explained RPD.
The third suspect who actually stole the Honda was able to flee the area in the stolen SUV before he could be stopped by officers. The stolen Honda was later found abandoned nearby.
Although the man who stole the vehicle was not immediately located or publicly named, detectives were able to identify him “and will be making an arrest for car theft in the future,” RPD reported.
LEADING THE SCNS NORTH STATE HEADLINES:
Woman set ablaze in “horrific” incident outside Redding City Hall – Man arrested
Wanted for Anderson robbery, women dies from apparent overdose
More details emerge after deadly Redding officer-involved shooting
Cottonwood man ID’d after fatal solo-vehicle crash near Shingletown
Already on parole for DUI, intoxicated man arrested after deadly crash
“Changes in property crime laws within the recent years have contributed to increases in retail theft and shoplifting,” stated Detective Everth Bercian of the Property Crimes Unit. “Theft of merchandise totaling less than $950 is only a misdemeanor, and any arrest made whether it’s a felony or misdemeanor, results in little to no consequences for these crimes.”
Despite that, Bercian said, “Our Property Crimes Unit will continue with proactive enforcement operations in its continued mission to prevent and decrease criminal activity in our communities.”
Anyone with additional information regarding this operation and arrests can, or who knows the whereabouts of the man who got away in the stolen Honda is encouraged to contact Detective Everth Bercian at (951) 826-5376 or by email.
This article sponsored by:
With breaking news articles, videos, podcasts, opinion pieces and more, Law Enforcement News Network has all the latest news and information related to law enforcement issues across the nation.
For more information, contact Bill Tyler at Century 21 Full Realty Service.
Voted Best Independent Sandwich Shop in the Inland Empire by The Press-Enterprise readers choice. Centrally located on N Harvard St in the heart of Downtown Hemet, enjoy over 30 different sandwiches and premium salads. Our coffee is made from locally roasted, Organic Coffee Beans from Idyllwild Coffee Roasters. Come taste the difference that is Downtown Deli & Coffee Company. For more information, visit Downtown Deli & Coffee Co. on Facebook.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; 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 30 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 18 grandchildren.
Pingback: “Please come home or contact us,” family pleads of missing Burney teen – Riverside County News Source
Pingback: Menifee businesses offer unique shopping opportunities – Riverside County News Source