Photo: Rene Alejos
PALM DESERT – A routine stolen vehicle check turned into the arrest of a thief who was allegedly dealing drugs.
The Riverside Auto-Theft Interdiction Detail (R.A.I.D.) task force was conducting a vehicle check on July 3rd at an apartment complex located on the 77000 block of County Club Drive.
At 11:30 AM, they found and arrested Rene Alejos, 45, who was on parole with a felony warrant.
A search of the vehicle revealed evidence of methamphetamine sales. As the detail processed the vehicle, a handcuffed Alejos ran away towards the apartment complex. R.A.I.D., along with the Palm Desert Station, Riverside Sheriff K-9s and a Riverside Sheriff helicopter, quickly established a perimeter and began their search.
It wasn’t long before they found the still-handcuffed Alejo hiding near an air conditioner on the side of an apartment building. He was taken into custody without incident or sustaining injuries.
R.A.I.D. — a multi-agency task force comprised of personnel from the California Highway Patrol, Riverside Sheriff’s Department, Riverside PD, Cathedral City PD, Murrieta PD, Riverside County DA’s Office, National Insurance Crime Bureau, and the Department of Insurance — investigates, arrests and prosecutes criminals responsible for auto theft, who have been known to engage in weapons possession, narcotics trafficking, and other violent crimes. The R.A.I.D. task force is committed to aggressively investigating all crimes associated with auto-theft.
