Kalii Puletasi
PERRIS – Following a lengthy investigation into a series of robberies which occurred in 2013 and 2015, investigators identified a suspect, searched his premises, and from finding evidence linking him to the crimes, arrested him.
Six businesses located in the city of Perris were robbed at gunpoint during the first five months of 2015, and one in 2013. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, each robbery involved a suspect who brandished a semi-automatic handgun and demanded money and merchandise before fleeing the scene. Utilizing video surveillance from several of the crimes, investigators were able to link them to the same suspect.
The last of the robberies in this series occurred at the Perris Buffet, located at 1675 Perris Boulevard on May 17, 2015. In the course of the robbery, the suspect suffered a head injury, which bled profusely and attempted to shoot at employees as he fled. Investigators were able to utilize evidence from this particular incident.
In April 2016, nearly a year later, the Perris Station’s Robbery/Burglary Suppression Team (BST) acquired compelling evidence linking 28-year old Kalii Puletasi to the robbery of the Perris Buffet. Over the following two months, BST completed a thorough follow-up investigation on each of the six robberies and acquired additional evidence to corroborate Puletasi’s involvement in those crimes.
On June 30, 2016, a search warrant was served at two residences; one in the 5500 block of Ackerfield Avenue in Long Beach and the second in the 15700 block of Skyridge Drive in Riverside. According to a Sheriff’s Department press release, the search of the Long Beach residence netted additional evidence linking Puletasi to all six robberies. Puletasi was then located at the Riverside residence where he was arrested, despite an attempted escape.
Puletasi was subsequently booked in the Riverside County Jail for six counts of 211PC-Robbery and two counts of 664/187PC-Attempted Murder. Bail was set at $1,600,000.00.
Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Deputy Ruben Martinez at the Perris Police Department by calling (951) 210-1000, or by email at PerrisStation@RiversideSheriff.org.
