Officials investigating Hemet armed robbery
HEMET, Calif. — Authorities are investigating reports of an armed robbery that reportedly occurred in the area of N. Hamilton and W. Devonshire avenues in Hemet Saturday evening, Dec. 26.
The suspect described in the armed robbery matched that of a man who fired multiple rounds at the driver of a white car in the parking lot of Depot Deli later the same evening. Officials have not yet said if the two incidents could be related.
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City of Hemet police officers began investigating the robbery around 8 p.m., when officers spotted a small, dark-colored sedan driving recklessly on Florida Avenue, official radio traffic at the time indicated.
When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the 22-year-old male driver failed to yield and continued traveling eastbound on Florida Avenue, before eventually stopping in front of the Hemet Police station.
Officers are seen talking to a man who claimed to have been robbed by a handgun-wielding man who reportedly threatened to shoot him while stealing all of the victim’s personal belongings. Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents photo
Investigating officers learned the driver had been robbed at gun point of his cell phone, two gold chains, an iPad and a backpack.
“This dude came up to my car, puts his gun in my car and said, ‘Don’t move or I’ll blow you away’,” the victim told officers; saying the suspect also said, “Take it easy, I’m gonna take everything you got,” as he removed all the victim’s valuables.
The victim described the suspect as a light-skinned Black male in his mid-20s, with tattoos on his face and shoulder-length dreadlocks who was wearing a red hoodie jacket.
Despite searching the area with help from a Sheriff’s helicopter, officers did not locate any potential suspects at the time and the victim reportedly became uncooperative with officers, saying he did not want any help from the police.
SEE RELATED: No injuries reported after Depot Deli shooting in Hemet
Although officials have not yet made any official connections, the suspect described in the armed robbery matched that of a man who fired multiple rounds at the driver of a white car in the parking lot of Depot Deli later the same evening. Although officials recovered about nine spent shell casings after that shooting, no injuries were reported and the suspect was not apprehended.
Both cases remain under investigation and anyone with information related to their ongoing investigations contact them at (951) 765-2400. Callers can remain anonymous.
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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.