Con Artists Preyed On The Vulnerable, Arrested In Palm Springs: Cops

EASTVALE, CA — A man and a woman suspected of luring an elderly man into conversation in Eastvale, then stealing jewelry he was wearing, was arrested in Palm Springs, authorities said Tuesday.

Deputies from the Eastvale Special Enforcement Team responded Monday to the parking lot of a business in the 5000 block of Hamner Avenue to investigate a robbery, according to Riverside County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Art Mendez.

Deputies learned the couple, later identified as Petre Alexandru, 27, and Gratiela Stoian, 22, was responsible for a similar robbery in Vancouver, British Columbia. Deputies identified both suspects and the vehicle used in the crime, Mendez said.

Deputies coordinated an apprehension of the suspects with the Palm Springs Police Department.

Alexandru and Stoian were arrested in Palm Springs. A search of the vehicle resulted in the finding of multiple necklaces, rings, watches and bracelets possibly belonging to other unidentified victims, Mendez said.

Alexandru and Stoian, who are both residents of Romania, were booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center for robbery, elder abuse and conspiracy to commit a crime. Their bail was set at $500,000 each.

Anyone with information regarding the robberies was urged to call the Jurupa Valley Sheriff's Station at 951-955-6006. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call the We-Tip Crime Reporting Hotline at 909-987-5005. Business owners and residents are encouraged to report criminal activity directly to law enforcement by calling Sheriff's Dispatch at 951-776-1099 or 911.