NORCO – Two would-be thieves had their plans foiled when they discovered that they should have brought a bigger truck to the heist.
Early in the morning on Friday, March 27, an attempted theft occurred at a business located in the 2100 block of Hamner Avenue, in the city of Norco. The business owner reported the crime, and a deputy assigned to the Norco Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation.
Through video surveillance footage, the deputy was able to ascertain that two male suspects were involved in an attempt at stealing a riding mower that was situated at the front of the business. According to a press release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the two suspects arrived in a two-tone-colored 1984 Chevrolet El Camino. The pair exited the vehicle and then proceeded to try to shove the lawn mower into the back of the El Camino.
When it became apparent that they were not going to be successful loading the mower, the suspects fled the location. They were last seen headed northbound on Hamner Avenue.
Fortunately, the suspects’ vehicle was conspicuous . On Tuesday, March 31, about 2:51 AM, the investigating deputy spotted the vehicle and two men believed to be the same individuals as in the video. They were parked not far from the business where the botched mower theft had occurred. The deputy detained the men and also located additional stolen property taken from the business during a second and unreported incident.
Eddie Garza, age 47, and Randy Contreras, age 52, both from Riverside, were arrested for theft, conspiracy, and possession of burglary tools. Garza was also arrested for the additional charge of violating his probation. Both suspects were booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center.
