Two Riverside County Men Discover That ATM Crimes Don’t Pay
MOUNTAIN CENTER – Early Monday morning, sheriff’s deputies located and arrested two suspects believed to have been perpetrators in a rash of ATM thefts in two counties.
Riverside Sheriff’s Deputies from the Hemet station, working routine patrol in the Mountain Center/Idyllwild area on Monday, September 14, responded to a call at 4:30 am at a business within the 53000 block of East Highway 74, in the unincorporated area of Mountain Center.
Deputies arrived at the location and began an investigation of an ATM theft from the business. According to the victims of the crime, multiple suspects drove away in a dark-colored SUV with the ATM in their vehicle. Deputies proceeded to search the area and located the suspect vehicle shortly thereafter.
According to Sergeant Robert Duckett, information possibly linking the suspects to a string of ATM thefts in San Bernardino County was uncovered during the investigation. Working with the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, Hemet Station Investigators arrested Ryan Patrick Mason, 24 years old of Hemet, and Nickolas Gordon Melendez, 26 years old of Cabazon.
Both were charged with suspicion of second degree burglary and booked at Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility. Bail was set at $5,000 for each, online jail records showed.
Anyone with information about this incident or similar incidents that may be linked are asked to call Investigator Dorrough at the Hemet Sheriff’s Station at (951) 791-3400.
