Riverside County Carjacking Leads To Suspect In Rialto

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — A carjacking early Monday morning in an unincorporated area of Riverside County resulted in an arrest by afternoon, according to authorities.

The carjacking was reported shortly before 3:30 a.m. in the area of east state Route 74 and state Route 79, in an area known as Green Acres. The victim told deputies the carjacking occurred about an hour prior, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

"The victim advised that two Hispanic males, one adult and one juvenile, brandished a handgun and took the victim’s 2018 red Ford Mustang," the law enforcement agency said.

Deputies took a report and the Mustang was entered into the stolen vehicle system.

There was no indication from the sheriff's department that the victim was injured in the incident.

Then about 1 p.m. Monday, the Rialto Police Department spotted the Mustang near the 600 block of Foothill Boulevard and stopped the driver, 23-year-old Perris resident Andrew Daniel Lopez.

Riverside County deputies took over the investigation and determined Lopez was one of the armed carjackers.

Lopez was arrested and booked into Southwest Detention Center on suspicion of carjacking, carrying a concealed weapon, and possession of a controlled substance. He remained jailed Tuesday morning in lieu of a $250,000 bail bond.

There was no word from the sheriff's department on the status of the juvenile.

The victim’s vehicle will be returned to the victim, the sheriff's department said.

Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call Investigator Rooker at Riverside County Sheriff’s Department dispatch: 951-776–1099 or the Perris Sheriff's Station at 951-210–1000.