Above: Stock Image
Originally Published By Riverside Police Department
“RIVERSIDE, CA – Over the past few months, Riverside Police Detectives assigned to the Robbery – Homicide Unit have been investigating a series of armed robberies at local fruit stands in the Arlington Heights neighborhood that began in November 2023. They also learned similar robberies had been occurring in the Lake Mathews and Perris areas involving the same two suspects, which were being investigated by the Riverside Sheriff’s Office.
In the Riverside incidents, the victim’s fruit stands were robbed a total of 5 times in November, December, and January. Below are the dates and locations of those robberies:
November 10, 2023 – 2100 block of Myers Street
November 18, 2023 – 2000 block of Van Buren Boulevard
November 23, 2023 – 2100 block of Van Buren Boulevard
December 18, 2023 – 2100 block of Van Buren Boulevard
January 11, 2024 – 2100 block of Van Buren Boulevard
Robbery – Homicide Unit Detectives coordinated their investigation with the Perris Station’s Robbery – Burglary Suppression Team and the Lake Mathews Station’s Special Enforcement Team. Recently, the two suspects were identified as 31-year-old Edgar Menchaca Martinez and 28-year-old Arturo Romero, both from Perris.
On Thursday, January 18th, the Riverside Sheriff’s Office and Riverside Police Department conducted a joint operation to arrest both suspects and execute search warrants related to these investigations. As a result, evidence was located linking both suspects to the robberies, and Menchaca Martinez and Romero were arrested and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on multiple felony counts of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. Menchaca Martinez is being held on one million dollars bail and Romero is being held without bail.
Anyone with additional information regarding the robberies being investigated by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office should contact Deputy Robert Staggs at the Lake Mathews Station Special Enforcement Team at (951) 272-5600. Those with additional information regarding the robberies being investigated by the Riverside Police Department should contact Detective William McGuigan of the Robbery-Homicide Unit at (951) 353-7103 or WMcGuigan@RiversideCA.gov.”
