RIVERSIDE – Last Tuesday, the PAC team conducted a parole search, as they regularly do (PAC stands for “Post-Release Accountability Compliance”).
That day, they were at Ruben Mendez’ apartment in the 8600 block of Arlington Avenue. While there, police discovered items connected to J&R Pharmacy, which had been burglarized on January 10th.
In addition, they found two firearms and ammunition. But at that time they did not find Mendez.
On Sunday, January 29th, police stopped a car with stolen license plates, with another car sporting stolen plates following it. That second vehicle did not stop and a pursuit ensued.
After a PIT (Pursuit Intervention Technique) was employed, the driver jumped out but was nabbed near a river bottom. That driver was Ruben Mendez, carrying an assault rifle in his car.
At that same time a “shots fired” call came in and police responded to a house on the 4200 block of Pine Street. After a brief investigation they determined that Mendez fired the shot.
The driver of the first car that police stopped, 27-year-old Raymond Araujo, was also arrested.
The duo was booked for attempted murder. Mendez was also booked for evading police, burglary, and arson. Araujo was also booked for possession of stolen property and probation violation.
(Photos courtesy: Riverside Police Department)
