2 Arrested After Fruit Stand Robbery Spree Across RivCo: Sheriff

LAKE MATHEWS, CA — Two men suspected in a series of robberies targeting fruit stands in Riverside and neighboring communities were behind bars Friday.

Edgar Martinez Menchaca, 31, and Arturo Romero, 27, both of Perris, were arrested Thursday on suspicion of multiple acts of robbery and conspiracy.

Menchaca was booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, where he's being held on $1 million bail. Romero was booked into the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, where he's being held without bail.

According to the Riverside Police Department, the robbery series began during the second week of November, when the pair allegedly held up a fruit stand in the 2100 block of Myers Street.

They allegedly targeted another vendor in the 2100 block of Van Buren Boulevard four separate times -- Nov. 18, Nov. 23, Dec. 18 and Jan. 11 -- according to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback.

He said that as detectives were investigating the holdups, they learned similar ones had occurred around Lake Mathews and Perris, under the Riverside County Sheriff's Department's jurisdiction.

The same two individuals were identified in all of the robberies, according to Railsback.

The joint police-sheriff's investigation culminated in search warrants being executed Thursday afternoon at properties on McAllister Street, just north of Lake Mathews, and Penasco Grande Street in Perris.

"As a result, evidence was located linking both suspects to the robberies, and Menchaca and Romero were arrested," Railsback said.

No injuries were reported in connection with the robbery series.

Background information on the two suspects was unavailable.