Staff Reports

Eastvale – Several thefts have taken place at nearby Eastvale businesses. However, the Eastvale Special Enforcement Team (SET) has done a great job investigating these incidents and arresting suspects.

In late 2022, Eastvale SET deputies began investigating a grand theft from a business located in the 12000 block of Limonite Avenue of Eastvale.

The suspect “walked into the store and grabbed as many items as she could and left the store with approximately $1,000 worth of product without paying,” stated a Riverside County Sheriff’s news release. For several months, “SET deputies tracked retail thefts and identified the unknown suspect to commit several grand thefts throughout the Inland Empire.”

SET deputies later identified the suspect as Gardenia Herrera, 31-year-old resident of Perris, and arrested her on March 5, 2023. Herrera was subsequently convicted and is serving a 4-year sentence.

Eastvale SET deputies continued this investigation working with local agencies and retail loss prevention members. They discovered several suspects linked to organized retail thefts throughout the Inland Empire. One of those suspects was Veronica Damian Estrada, a 39-year-old resident of Moreno Valley. Eastvale SET deputies arrested Estrada on April 26 in Moreno Valley.

Upon arrest, deputies located “several thousand dollars worth of stolen items in her vehicle,” stated a news release. “Deputies served a search warrant at Estrada’s residence and located thousands of stolen retail items estimated at $40,000 dollars in retail value. Estrada was subsequently booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center for several felony charges related to organized retail theft.”

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department wants to remind the community that “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 by calling 911 if the matter is an emergency. Criminal activity can also be reported through the We-Tip Crime Reporting Hotline, (909) 987-5005.