Elsinore Theft: Man Accused Of Extortion Months After Incident

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — A months-long investigation culminated in the arrest on May 9 of a Wildomar man accused of stealing an expensive piece of equipment and then trying to sell it back to the owner.

The case started back on the night of Jan. 19, when a vehicle burglary was reported outside a business on Collier Avenue, according to sheriff's Sgt. Brett Seckinger.

"The victim provided a physical description of the suspect and a vehicle description of the suspect vehicle, but without a vehicle license plate number," Seckinger said in a news release. "The victim reported to the deputy a specific piece of equipment was stolen from a locked truck that valued over $250,000."

Sheriff's detectives attempted to find the thief, but the case ultimately went cold "due to a lack of suspect leads."

Then, on April 2, the victim call authorities to let them know he'd been contacted by someone offering to sell him back the pricey equipment — for a major discount, according to Seckinger.

"...[H]e had received a telephone call from a male subject who advised he had 'stumbled upon' the stolen equipment and would return it for $15,000," Seckinger said.

Police re-opened the case and ultimately tracked down the man trying to sell the stolen equipment, authorities said.

"On May 9, 2019, the Lake Elsinore station detective and assistance from the Riverside County Sheriff’s PACT team identified a suspect, made contact at a residence, conducted a probation search and recovered the stolen equipment," Seckinger said.

Thomas Lee Hunter, 55, was arrested in connection to the case and booked into the French Valley jail on suspicion of extortion and possession of stolen property. His bail was set at $250,000 and he remained locked up as of Monday, jail records showed.