WINCHESTER – After attempting to rob a Del Taco at knife point, a suspect believed to be involved in a rash of similar robberies was arrested, along with two accomplices.
A man entered the Del Taco at 30640 Benton Road in Winchester on May 4, 2014 and brandished a knife. The man demanded that the manager behind the front counter give him money. When the manager refused to comply with the threat, the suspect fled. He was reported to have driven away in a blue vehicle and to be accompanied by two male accomplices.
Hearing a report of the robbery, a Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy from the Perris station, patrolling the Winchester area, spotted the vehicle. The blue car was speeding away when the deputy gave chase. When the vehicle stopped, the deputy spotted the robbery suspect hiding in the backseat with a knife matching the description of the one used in the crime.
Brentyn Rooney, 21, Zachary Travis,19, and Ruben Reed 18, all residents of San Jacinto were arrested and booked into the Southwest Detention Center on charges for robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. According to Seargent G. Williams, “Brentyn Rooney has been sought by law enforcement for nine other similar robberies in the areas of Hemet, San Jacinto, Perris and Menifee over the past month.”
Several law enforcement agencies had been involved in the robbery series, including Hemet P.D., Perris P.D., Menifee P.D., and Riverside County Sheriff’s investigators from the Southwest Station and the Hemet Station. The investigators were reported to be relieved to have a suspect in custody and are continuing with their investigation in order to gather further evidence linking the suspect to the crimes.
Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Investigator Michael Mejia at the Southwest Station by calling (951)- 696-3001 or Investigator Omar Rodriguez, at the Perris Police Department by calling (951) 210-1000.
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