The Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station Special Enforcement Team had been investigating the trailer cargo theft ring since February and served a search warrant on the warehouse off of Highway 74 on Thursday night in an unincorporated area called Good Hope.

Inside the warehouse, deputies found pallets stacked high with stolen goods, including food and industrial-grade tools, the department said.

Retail theft has been an increasing problem in the last year or so, prompting state and local officials to respond by creating task forces and proposing legislation to impose harsher penalties on repeat offenders and allow retailers to file restraining orders against repeat culprits.

Truck driver Rajdeep Singh, 34, was detained at the Good Hope location during the search and arrested on suspicion of possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia.

“This is an ongoing investigation, and deputies are working to determine Singh’s involvement and identifying additional suspects,” the department said in a statement.

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The suspects, all residents of Jurupa Valley, were identified by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department as:

• Thomas Balandran, 50
• Sherri Alvarez, 48
• Brianna Balandran, 19
• Unidentified juvenile, 17

On April 24, deputies responded to a business in Temecula where thieves attempted to steal over $1,000 worth of merchandise.

Investigators identified the suspects and discovered they were responsible for at least 10 retail thefts throughout Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles counties. The family had reportedly stolen over $7,000 worth of items during those incidents, authorities said.

On May 13, a search warrant was served at a home in the 6800 block of Valley Way in Jurupa Valley.

During the search, deputies found a large amount of stolen merchandise with price tags still attached. Other items, including narcotics and paraphernalia, were also found in the home.

Detectives learned there were additional homes connected to the thefts that involved suspects knowingly buying stolen goods to resell for profit, also known as “fencing.”

On May 14, two additional warrants were served in Moreno Valley where over $3,000 worth of stolen items were found.

The adult family members were arrested on charges of organized retail theft, burglary, conspiracy, and grand theft. The 17-year-old juvenile was released to a family member and charges will be filed with juvenile probation.

Deputies discovered that Balandran was on probation for grand theft at the time and additional charges were added to include violation of probation and drug-related offenses.

Investigators believe there are more retail thefts involving the family that have not been reported.

Anyone with additional information can call Deputy Christina Weber at 951-696-3133.

“The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office has zero tolerance for these offenses and will continue to work proactively with our allied agencies, loss prevention partners, and the District Attorney’s Office to combat organized retail crime,” authorities said.

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RIVERSIDE, CA — A downtown Riverside smoke shop was raided last week over community complaints of alleged illegal activity, police announced.

The Riverside Police Department’s vice unit served a search warrant Thursday at DTOWN Smoke Shop, 3466 University Avenue. Inside, investigators allegedly found evidence of illegal gambling and narcotics activities. A store employee was found in possession of suspected cocaine and a loaded firearm, police said.

Agents with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration also opened an investigation into DTOWN Smoke Shop over alleged illegal sales and use of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis products.

Thursday’s bust came after the Riverside Police Department allegedly “received numerous complaints” over the last several months of possible illegal activity at the establishment.

Anyone with additional information about the case is asked to contact the RPD vice unit at RPDVice@RiversideCA.gov.

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File # I232780061

Details:

On Friday, October 20th, 2023, the San Jacinto Station’s Special Enforcement Team served a narcotics-related search warrant in the 600 block of East Shaver Street in the city of San Jacinto. Deputies arrested a 17-year-old male juvenile, and Issac Corona, a 25-year-old resident of Indio, without incident. During a search of the property, deputies located the following items:

• Over $10,000.00 in cash
• 350 Xanax pills, 50 Oxycodone pills, 9 Adderall pills, and 1 bottle of Promethazine
• 29 grams of Psilocybin Mushrooms
• Four unregistered firearms

Additionally, items indicative of illicit narcotic sales were located. The 17-year-old male juvenile was later booked into the Juvenile Hall for various narcotic and weapon related offenses. Issac Corona was also booked into Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility for various narcotic and weapon related offenses.

This is an on-going investigation. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Deputy Pena at the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station at (951) 654-2702.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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File # MV232570293

Details:

On Tuesday, September 14, 2023, about 3:00 p.m., deputies responded to the 23900 block of Sunnymead Boulevard to a report of a man with a gun at the gas station. Deputies arrived and discovered two men, Nathan Ramirez, 22-year-old of Moreno Valley, and Dominic Ward, 35-year-old of Moreno Valley, were fighting at the gas station. During the fight, Ramirez produced a handgun, pointed it at Ward, and threatened to kill Ward. Ward ran from Ramirez, who returned to his vehicle and drove away before deputies arrived.

On September 16, 2023, about 11:30 a.m., deputies located Ramirez driving his vehicle in the area of Sunnymead Boulevard and Heacock Street. Deputies stopped the vehicle and detained Ramirez, and his passenger, Jem Urich of Lancaster. Ramirez was arrested for the assault from the September 14 and Urich was arrested for an outstanding warrant from Los Angeles County for domestic battery.

A search warrant was written and authorized by a judge to search the vehicle driven by Ramirez and his residence. Deputies located a loaded firearm in his vehicle and more evidence of the crime inside his house. Ramirez was booked on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threats. Both Ramirez and Urich were booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside without incident.

Anyone with additional information about this case is encouraged to call Deputy A. Almadin of the Moreno Valley Station at (951)-486-6700.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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The post Arrest and Search Warrant for Assault with a Deadly Weapon Suspect appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

File #  I232440081

Details:

On Friday, September 1, 2023, the San Jacinto Station’s Special Enforcement Team served a narcotics-related search warrant in the 400 block of Dover Court in the city of San Jacinto. Deputies arrested Luis Alberto Ramirez-Martinez, a 28-year-old resident of San Jacinto, and Pilar Israel Silvas-Palafox, a 31-year-old resident of San Jacinto, without incident. During a search of the property, an indoor illegal marijuana grow was located along with the following items:

• Over $2,000.00 in cash
• 216 Marijuana Plants
• Three ounces of cocaine
• One unregistered handgun
• 65 rounds of ammunition

Additionally, items indicative of illicit narcotic sales were located. Ramirez-Martinez and Silvas-Palafox were later transported and booked into the Smith Correctional Facility for various narcotic and weapon related offenses.

This is an on-going investigation. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Deputy Calvillo at the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station at (951) 654-2702.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

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File # A232250008

Details:

On Wednesday, August 23, 2023, at 7:30 a.m., Colorado River Station deputies and the Special Enforcement Team, with assistance from the Investigations Bureau, served a search warrant at a property located in the 600 block of N. 5th Street, in the city of Blythe. This search warrant resulted from information developed during an investigation of a residential burglary in the North River area, an unincorporated area of Blythe. During the search warrant service, deputies recovered several stolen items from the burglary, as well as additional stolen items from other open cases in the Blythe area.

Deputies arrested Craig Roberts, a 62-year-old resident of Blythe, without incident. Roberts was booked into the Blythe Jail for the following charges: burglary, vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, and possession of burglary tools.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact Deputy Bistline at the Colorado River Station by calling (760) 921-7900.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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File # F23229007

Details:

On Thursday, August 17, 2023, Lake Elsinore Special Enforcement Team and GTF Region 4 served a narcotics-related search warrant on the 33000 block of Adelfa Street, Lake Elsinore. Deputies arrested Paul Puga, a 52-year-old resident of Lake Elsinore, without incident. During a search of the property, deputies and officers, including K9 units, located the following items:

• Over $20,000 in cash
• 927 M30 pills
• 1 pound methamphetamine
• 2.1 pounds fentanyl
• 15 grams cocaine
• Three non-serialized handguns
• 120 rounds of various ammunition
• One silencer
• Four extended magazines
• One high-capacity rifle magazine

Puga was transported and booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center for the following charges: felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, possession of fentanyl for sale, possession of narcotics for sale, possession of a silencer, concealing controlled substances in a false compartment, and bringing narcotics into the jail.

This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Deputy Hibbler at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station at (951) 245–3300.

As a reminder, “Community Policing” involves partnerships between law enforcement and community members. Business owners and residents are encouraged to report criminal activity directly to law enforcement by calling Sheriff’s Dispatch at (951) 776–1099 or 911 if the matter is an emergency.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

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File # GE232280001

Details:

On Wednesday, August 16, 2023, at 7:00 a.m., the Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force, with the assistance of Riverside County Gang Task Force Region 2 and Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit, served a search warrant at a residence located in the 66000 block of Desert View Avenue in Desert Hot Springs. The search warrant stemmed from an ongoing investigation involving illegally possessed firearms. Gang Task Force Officers recovered six 9mm semi-auto handguns, eight .45 caliber semi-auto handguns, one .40 caliber semi-auto handgun, two .38 caliber semi-auto handguns, one 10mm semi-auto handgun, one .22 caliber semi-auto handgun, and one .556 semi-auto AR-15 rifle. They arrested Ramon Higuera Jr., 26, of Desert Hot Springs, for distributing firearms to a Felon, possessing an unregistered handgun, and transferring firearms without a Federal Firearms License (FFL). Higuera Jr. was booked at John Benoit Detention Center in Indio.

The Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force is committed to creating safe, secure neighborhoods free of violent crime and gang activity. If you have any information about this crime, please contact CVVCGTF member Officer Coddington at (760) 836-1600. If you have non-emergency information regarding gang activity, please use our online Gang Task Force Tip Form or call 951-922-7601.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

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The post Gang Task Force Recovers Illegally Possessed Firearms During Search Warrant appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

File # GE232150001

Details:

On Thursday, August 3, 2023, at 9:00 A.M. the Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force, with the assistance of California Highway Patrol K-9 Team and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Aviation, served a search warrant at a residence located in the 45000 block of Bradley Way in the city of Indio. During the service of the search warrant Gang Task Force Officers located a non-serialized short-barreled AR-15 rifle, and a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun with full-automatic switch. Gang Task Force Officers arrested documented criminal street gang member and convicted felon, David Bustos, 24-year-old of Indio for Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Felon in Possession of Ammunition, Possession of a Short Barreled Rifle, Possession of a Machine Gun, and Possession of an Unregistered Handgun. Also arrested was Kaztynnee Zamorez, 20-year-old of Indio for Possession of a Short Barreled Rifle, Possession of a Machine Gun, and Possession of an Unregistered Handgun. Both subjects were booked at John Benoit Detention Center in Indio.

The Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force is committed to creating safe and secure neighborhoods free of violent crime and gang activity. If you have any information about this crime, please contact CVVCGTF member Officer Coddington at (760) 836-1600. If you have non-emergency information regarding gang activity, please use our online Gang Task Force Tip Form or call 951-922-7601.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Gang Task Force Arrests Gang Member with Firearms During Search Warrant appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.