Crime & Incidents

On Sunday, October 25, 2020, deputies from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station responded to a burglary in progress on the 28000 block of Red Gum Dr. in the county area of Lake Elsinore. Riverside Sheriff’s Aviation Unit observed and followed a vehicle leaving the location. The vehicle was occupied by two suspects, later identified as Eric Valencia, 36-years of age, and Jack DeStefano, 29-years of age, both subjects reside in the city of Lake Elsinore.

n Tuesday, October 27, 2020, personnel from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, with the assistance of California Department of Fish and Wildlife, served five marijuana cultivation related search warrants in the unincorporated Hemet County area known as Aguanga. During the service, 5,743 marijuana plants were eradicated and 960 pounds of processed marijuana was taken for a total weight of approximately two tons. Five firearms were located, including one assault rifle. The following subjects were arrested for marijuana cultivation:

On Thursday, October 22, 2020, at 10:03 PM, members of the San Gorgonio Special Operations Regional Gang Task Force (Region 2) were in the area of West Wilson Street and 8th Street in the City of Banning. They observed a vehicle failing to stop at several stop signs and traveling at a high rate of speed. Task Force Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to stop.

Police arrested a man they say shot and killed a 24-year-old Riverside woman during a suspected robbery earlier this week at a San Bernardino home, authorities said.

A Riverside man was sentenced Friday to 20-years in federal prison for conspiring to commit terrorist attacks in the Inland Empire and for providing assault rifles later used in the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack that killed 14 people.