A Lake Elsinore man suspected of stealing multiple trailers was arrested on Tuesday in the City of Menifee.
On March 8 at 4:30 p.m., deputies responded to a business in the 44600 block of Pechanga Parkway in the City of Temecula regarding the theft of a 2021 Forest River travel trailer. It was learned the travel trailer was stolen on March 7, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department announced in a news release.
Following leads, the Southwest Station’s Robbery/Burglary Suppression Team (RBST) learned at least three other trailers were stolen from the same storage facility between February and March, and the same gate code was used to access the facility on each occasion.
Through investigative leads and video surveillance, members of RBST positively identified the suspect of each incident as Jessie Villalpando, a 32-year-old resident of Lake Elsinore.
The suspect vehicles primarily utilized during the thefts were determined to be a white 2022 Dodge Ram with Florida license plates and white 2020 Toyota Tundra with California license plates, the department reported. It was also determined Penske and U-Haul style truck rentals were used in the thefts.
Villalpando was located on March 21 near the 30600 block of Briggs Road in the City of Menifee, where he was taken into custody without incident. Villalpando was in possession of two additional stolen trailers, including a utility box trailer and a 28-foot travel trailer at the time of his arrest, authorities said.
Deputies also identified multiple storage units belonging to Villalpando, where a search warrant was served and additional stolen property was located. At least seven trailers were determined to have been stolen by Villalpando, authorities said.
Villalpando was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center for multiple counts of possession of stolen property and vehicle theft.
The investigation determined that Villalpando has been stealing utility box trailers and travel trailers since approximately November 2022 throughout the county, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The trailers have primarily been stolen from storage facilities. It is believed there are additional victims who have not been identified.
Anyone with information about this case or aware of additional incidents involving Villalpando is asked to contact Deputy Alfonso Valadez of the Southwest Station RBST Team at 951-696–3032.
