More than 70 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies took part in a coordinated enforcement operation in the mountain communities of Anza, Sage, Pinyon Pines, Idyllwild and Aguanga in the early morning hours Thursday, April 3.
Participating agencies included the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, Banning Police Department, Hemet Police Department, Beaumont Police Department, Riverside County Probation and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
The operation was supported by members of the Hemet, San Jacinto and Southwest Special Enforcement Teams; Probation and Compliance Team; Rural Crime Team; Mounted Enforcement Detail; Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team; Vehicle Interdiction Pipeline Enforcement Resource (VIPER); and the Marijuana Enforcement Team.
Teams conducted multiple probation and parole compliance checks targeting individuals with histories of drug use, theft and ongoing criminal conduct. Seized contraband included methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin and more than 30 pounds of processed marijuana. Several arrests involved convicted felons found in possession of ammunition, and authorities discovered several dismantled stolen vehicles at an illicit chop shop.
In total, 21 individuals were arrested on a range of felony and misdemeanor charges, including probation and parole violations. Many felony drug-related arrests were the result of recent changes to controlled substance laws under Proposition 36, which mandate court appearances and treatment for substance abuse.
The following individuals were arrested during the operation:
• Michael Smith, 48, Hemet – Drug-related charges
• Richard Rodriguez, 34, Anza – Three misdemeanor warrants
• Dale Henderson, 42, Anza – Domestic violence
• Jon Chance, 40, Anza – Weapon and drug-related charges
• Jessica Nowlin, 37, Anza – Drug-related charges
• Taylor Dravenstatt, 32, Anza – Parole violation
• Ivan Maybrey, 23, Anza – Misdemeanor warrant
• Vincent Valdez, 57, Anza – Weapon-related charges, probation violation
• Eduardo Medina, 49, Anza – Misdemeanor warrant
• Kyle Murdy, 38, Anza – Drug-related charges, probation violation
• Luis Meza, 31, Aguanga – Drug-related charges
• Nathan Zapata, 46, Temecula – Weapon-related charges
• Maritza Martinez, 27, Temecula – Drug-related charges
• Elaina Hartley, 34, Anza – Misdemeanor warrant, drug-related charges
• Tasha Leonard, 39, Anza – Misdemeanor warrant, drug-related charges
• Joseph Curran, 45, Anza – Drug-related charges, probation violation
• Chrystal Ross, 31, Aguanga – Felony warrant
• Michael Jones, 37, Banning – Drug-related charges
• Levi Scott, 34, Anza – Chop shop activity, parole violation
• Amber Scott, 36, Anza – Conspiracy, chop shop activity
• Stuart Bowman, 51, Aguanga – Misdemeanor warrant
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to proactive law enforcement and reducing crime in local communities. These large-scale operations are made possible through the support of partner agencies and residents working together to maintain public safety.
Anyone with information regarding any crimes is encouraged to contact the Hemet Sheriff’s Station at 951-791-3400 or visit http://www.riversidesheriff.org/.
Criminal activity can also be reported through the We-Tip Crime Reporting Hotline, 909-987-5005 or https://wetip.com.
