Murrieta, CA – On March 27, 2022, at 2:41 a.m., Murrieta Police Communications Center received information from Riverside Sheriff’s Communication Center that several burglaries had just occurred between 1:17 a.m. and 2:12 a.m. in the cities of Lake Elsinore and Wildomar. This information was quickly broadcast to Murrieta patrol officers.
Almost an hour later, at 3:11 a.m., Murrieta officers were dispatched to the area of Madison Avenue and Madison Square regarding a suspicious incident. A witness reported seeing several males running from a gray Nissan pickup truck parked in the Best Buy parking lot towards the Murrieta Spectrum shopping center located across the street. This reporting party related that he lost visual of the subjects but could hear loud banging and glass breaking.
Within two minutes of the Murrieta Police Communications Center receiving this call, Murrieta officers arrived on scene. Upon their arrival, they located two males running from the previously reported Nissan pickup truck parked in the Best Buy parking lot. A Murrieta K9 officer shouted commands at the two suspects to stop running and they complied. Both suspects were identified as 17-year-old male juveniles.
Further investigation revealed that the windows of La Mode Beauty Salon had been smashed and a cash register was removed from the business. Surveillance footage showed three male suspects, including the two males taken into custody, breaking into La Mode Beauty Salon as well as unsuccessfully attempting to smash the windows of the neighboring business. Officers were unable to locate the third suspect.
Two loaded un-serialized handguns, commonly referred to as “ghost guns,” were located at the scene. One was found in the suspects’ vehicle and the second was located under another nearby vehicle.
Both suspects were booked into Riverside County Southwest Juvenile Hall for burglary, conspiracy, weapons charges and obstruction of justice. One of the suspects was additionally arrested for an active felony warrant. The Riverside Sheriff’s Office was advised of this arrest and their investigation into the crimes in their cities is on-going.
If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact Detective Sergeant Henry Romero at (951) 461-6366.