Pair arrested after Hemet WaBa Grill burglary – Thousands in cash, property recovered

February 1, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

HEMET, Calif. — Authorities say a man and woman were arrested after allegedly breaking into and burglarizing the Hemet WaBa Grill at the intersection of N. Sanderson and W. Devonshire avenues early this morning, Monday, Feb. 1.

LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:
Rifle-wielding man trying to kill estranged wife fatally shot after high-speed chase
UPDATE: Gunman who fired at deputies fatally shot during Homeland disturbance
Search for man who sexually assaulted woman at Temecula business continuing
“Discarded in the trash”, more details released after infant found dead in Perris
UPDATE: Victim, 17, ID’d after deadly Moreno Valley shooting
UPDATE: Victim, 18, ID’d after deadly Riverside crash

City of Hemet police officers were dispatched to the business around 4:50 a.m., after receiving a call reporting a security alarm at the popular restaurant.

Arriving within minutes of the dispatched call, officers spotted a white Nissan Maxima abruptly leaving the restaurant’s parking lot and initiated a traffic stop on Devonshire Avenue, just west of Sanderson Avenue.

Officers who responded to a burglary call at a Hemet WaBa Grill arrested two people spotted leaving the scene. During their investigation, they recovered thousands in cash and other property stolen from the business from inside the couple’s car. Hemet Crime Society photos

While officers entered the restaurant with guns drawn and investigated the reported burglary, other officers conducted a search of the Nissan. During their search, they located a large sum of cash, which witnesses said totaled approximately $3,000 in cash. Officers also recovered several boxes of food and condiments and other items taken from the restaurant, including the business’ checkbook.

Based on their investigation, officers arrested Hemet residents Luis Rosa Rodriguez, 33, and Mary Margaret Madrid, 30. They were later booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of second-degree burglary.

Both remain in custody with Madrid being held in lieu of $50,000 bail or bond, while Rodriguez’s bail has been set at $10,000. The pair is scheduled to be arraigned at Murrieta’s Southwest Justice Center on April 6.

“I’m very proud of our officers who did a great job handling this call,” Hemet Police Lieutenant Michael Arellano later told RCNS. “Just overall – from their fast response time, to spotting the suspect’s vehicle leaving the area, and to their recovery of the stolen cash and property – I’m just very proud of their dedication and continued excellent service to our community.”

Click any image to open full-size gallery.

Hemet Crime Society photos above

Eddie George/Hemet News photos above

This article sponsored by:

https://billtyler.century21fullrealtyservices.com/?fbclid=IwAR3M-pAuvAmKHMcG95xnmL5HCoiCL9ggNGY_dgeAhkxckG6v4NOkl6qp3Tg

For more information, contact Bill Tyler at Century 21 Full Realty Service.

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.

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 (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network.

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.