THEFT THWARTED BY SCENE REGULARS


Murrieta, CA – Around 2:40 PM on Sunday afternoon, one or more robbers entered the back alleyway behind T-Mobile, Cuppy’s Coffee, The Green Cleaners, the nail salon, and the dentist offices, all part of a small strip mall located across from the Albertson’s shopping center at Winchester and Hot Springs roads and, after breaking the surveillance camera, proceeded to enter the electrical room common to all the businesses. “They probably used a crowbar to open the Edison lockbox, then took the key and got into the (electrical) room”, said the Verizon phone tech there to help restore service to some of the businesses. Ripped from the wall was the circuit box for all the data transmissions and phone lines. Sitting outside between the south retaining wall and building was also a deluxe dentist air compressor and pump, value approximately $15,000, showing the skid marks from having been drug along the pavement on the way to the front parking lot.

The attempted robbery cut power to all the shops with several being somewhat back on line electrically. The robbery was stopped in progress by people who had stopped by the coffee shop around 3:15 PM to pick up some personal belongings left there the night before. Noticing that no power was on in the shop, owner Johnny was called and soon evidence of the attempted robbery was discovered. Police are investigating and have several solid leads to work on. Anyone with any information concerning this devastation and destruction of private property are asked to contact Murrieta PD immediately.