A pair of probationers accused of perpetrating burglaries targeting beauty supply outlets throughout the Inland Empire, stealing thousands of dollars worth of products were charged Friday with organized retail theft and other offenses.
Gardenia Carolina Herrera, 33, and Alex Quevedo, 26, both of Moreno Valley, were arrested Wednesday following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation prompted by a theft at a store in the 1600 block of North Perris Boulevard in Perris.
Along with organized retail theft, both defendants were charged with grand theft, petty theft, two counts of burglary and probation violations.
They were slated to make a joint initial court appearance Friday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Each is being held without bail — Herrera at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, Quevedo at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Kevin Mahoney, early Tuesday afternoon, Quevedo allegedly went into the Perris Boulevard store and grabbed “a large amount of beauty products,” then fled the business.
The getaway vehicle identified following the alleged theft was linked to Herrera, Mahoney said, adding Quevedo was soon after confirmed as the party who had committed the alleged theft.
“Deputies learned Herrera and Quevedo were responsible for previous thefts in the cities of Perris, Hemet and Rialto,” the sergeant said.
They were tracked to University Avenue in Riverside, where they were taken into custody without incident Wednesday afternoon.
“Deputies located a large amount of stolen property (in Herrera’s car) valued at approximately $6,000,” Mahoney said.
Both defendants have prior felony convictions in California, but the offenses were not listed.
