Murrieta, California - The Riverside County Sheriffs Department announced today that arrests have been made in the string of local robberies at local restaurants and a Bank of America in the French Valley area. On January 19, 2008 at about 910am, deputies from the Southwest Sheriff Station responded to a bank robbery that had just occurred at the Bank of America located in the 30600 block of Benton Road in French Valley. The investigation revealed that two males had entered the bank wearing ski masks, produced a handgun and robbed the bank of an undisclosed amount of cash. They were last seen fleeing the location on foot. Detectives from the Southwest Station responded to the bank and assumed the investigation.

Since that time, sheriff investigators have been pursuing an assortment of leads developed from numerous sources, including neighboring police departments who themselves have been investigating similar robberies within their jurisdictions. Subsequent information led investigators to focus their attention in the Las Vegas area, as it was believed the suspects were possibly staying in or around that area. Investigators notified Las Vegas authorities and provided them with information as to the suspects whereabouts.

On January 28, 2007, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department located and arrested the suspects inside a local casino on the Las Vegas strip. Investigators from the Southwest Sheriff Station responded to Las Vegas at which time they obtained a search warrant for the suspects motel room and vehicle. Subsequent to the search, investigators recovered a large amount of cash believed to be stolen from the Bank of America robbery as well as other items of evidential value.

The suspects were identified as local residents - 25 yr. old David Alcaire Jr. of Winchester and 26 yr. old Joshua Labs of French Valley.The investigation also determined that the suspects were responsible for at least three other robberies in this area, including an attempt robbery at a Carls Jr. in Temecula on Dec. 29, 2007, a robbery at a Subway restaurant in Sun City on Jan. 10 and at a Carls. Jr. in Murrieta on Jan. 14.

The suspects are being held in the Las Vegas Metro Jail pending extradition proceedings and this investigation is still continuing. Anybody with information on these robberies is encouraged to contact the Riverside Sheriff’s Department at 951-696-3000.