Murrieta Teens Suspected Of Peddling Dope To Temecula Youngsters

TEMECULA, CA — Two 18-year-old Murrieta residents were arrested Friday on suspicion of selling vape pens containing concentrated cannabis to middle and high school students across Temecula and French Valley, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department announced Tuesday.

Anthony Harry Mathisen and Catherine Ann Hickisch were taken into custody Friday night after being picked up at Murrieta's Madison Avenue at Murrieta Hot Springs Road by Southwest Sheriff’s Station deputies, jail records show.

The two were booked on suspicion of possessing narcotics for sale and for using a minor to help peddle the cannabis, both felonies, according to the jail records. Bail was set at $1 million for each.

Mathisen was released Saturday from Southwest Detention Center, while Hickisch remained in custody Tuesday at Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility. She is due in court Wednesday, the jail records show, although formal charges were pending. A tentative court date was set in April for Mathisen.

An investigation into the pair began last month, according to the sheriff's department. Mathisen and Hickisch distributed concentrated cannabis and psilocybin (commonly referred to as mushrooms) to minors using a mobile delivery service, identified through social media as “AtomicClouds,” the department reported.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Sgt. Michael Perez at the Southwest Sheriff’s Station: 951-696-3000.

"Parents are encouraged to monitor their children’s social media activity for any suspicious activity. If you identify nefarious activity, [including] information related to the distribution of narcotics to children, you are encouraged to contact WETIP (800–78-CRIME) or your local law enforcement agency," according to the sheriff's department.