Hemet juveniles linked to 34 commercial burglaries throughout southwest Riverside County
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif., — Authorities say three Hemet juveniles who have been linked to 34 commercial burglaries – most of which occurred over a five day period earlier this month – were identified and the primary suspect was arrested Friday, July 16.
The series of burglary cases, which were being investigated by no less than three sheriff’s stations and Hemet PD, were broken wide open by Southwest and Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station deputies and investigators who ultimately identified, located and arrested the alleged burglars.
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Between Friday, July 2, and Friday, July 7, deputies from the Southwest Sheriff’s Station, Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station, Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station and Hemet Police Department, began investigating approximately 34 commercial burglaries throughout southwest Riverside County, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Sean Liebrand has since said of the incidents and arrests.
All the business’s targeted were nail salons, hair salons, taco shops and pizzerias, and all had their front windows shattered, as a point of entry into the locations, according to Liebrand.
“Deputies were able to obtain security surveillance videos from multiple locations showing the suspect(s) illegally entering the businesses and targeting the cash registers,” the Sergeant explained.
At that time, members of the Southwest and Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station’s Special Enforcement Teams (SET) assumed the investigation and were able to identify three subjects of interest as well a possible suspect vehicle, a red Ford 500, which was used in each incident.
All three suspects were identified as juveniles from the city of Hemet.
As their investigation continued, on July 10, members from Southwest SET and the Southwest detective bureau located the suspect vehicle in the city of Hemet and served a search warrant at the primary suspect’s residence.
Although the main suspect was not at the location at the time of the search warrant service, “items linking the suspect(s) to several of the burglaries were located and recovered,” said Liebrand.
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Despite deputies having identified the suspects and the fact that they were closing in on them, on Friday, July 16, deputies from the Southwest Sheriff’s Station investigated three additional commercial burglaries that occurred in the 30000 block of Rancho California Road, within the city of Temecula.
“During the investigation, deputies noticed all three businesses had front window smashes and immediately notified the Southwest SET” who assumed the investigation along with the Southwest detective bureau, said Liebrand.
“Southwest SET members obtained security surveillance video and determined the suspect who entered the businesses matched the description of the suspect from all the prior burglaries,” the Sergeant continued.; adding, “Southwest SET and the Southwest detective bureau immediately responded to the suspect’s residence in the city of Hemet and were able to take the subject in to custody.”
“Additional items of evidence were also located inside the suspect’s residence and the suspect was transported to and booked at Southwest Juvenile Hall,” said Liebrand.
This is an active investigation and anyone with further information is encouraged to contact Deputy Eric Garcia at (951) 696-3000, or via email. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTip online form.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 50, 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 and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
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.
I don’t think there could be two Fridays within a 5 day span