MURRIETA (CNS) – Felony charges are expected to be filed Friday against a 32-year-old man suspected of robbing multiple mobile homes from businesses throughout southwest Riverside County.
Jessie Villalpando of Lake Elsinore was arrested and booked into the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta Tuesday night on suspicion of vehicle theft and possession of stolen property.
Villalpando is being held on a $40,000 bond.
The case is being reviewed by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
According to Sheriff Sgt. Josh Hephner, On March 8, officers were dispatched to a storage facility in the 44600 block of Pechanga Parkway in Temecula to investigate the theft of a Forest River 2021 travel trailer.
Witnesses described a burly man in a white pickup hitched up and drove away with the trailer, Hephner said.
He said investigators soon learned of similar thefts over the previous month at the same site, resulting in the theft of the other three travel trailers.
“Through investigative leads and video surveillance, (investigators) positively identified the suspect in each incident as Villalpando,” Hephner said. “The suspect vehicles used primarily during the thefts were determined to be a 2022 Dodge Ram pickup truck with Florida license plates and a 2020 Toyota Tundra pickup truck with California license plates.”
The sergeant said the suspect was located Tuesday night in the 30600 block of Briggs Road in Menifee, where he was taken into custody without incident.
“He was in possession of two additional stolen trailers, including a utility box trailer and a 28-foot travel trailer,” Hephner said, noting that a total of seven stolen trailers were seized.
Sheriff’s staff served search warrants at several storage units in Villalpando’s name and seized more stolen property, Hephner alleged.
Investigators believe the suspect may be responsible for the robberies dating back to November, according to Hephner.
“It is believed that there are additional victims that have not yet been identified,” he said.
Background information on the suspect was not available.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the Sheriff’s Southwest Station at 951-696-3032.
Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.
