May 13, 2023 - Riverside County Sheriff’s Office officials report that on May 3, 2023, at approximately 1:12 a.m., the Riverside Sheriff’s Southwest Station deputies responded to a business in the 27000 block of Jefferson Avenue in the City of Temecula, reference to an armed robbery. Upon arrival, deputies learned the suspect entered the business and pointed a handgun at the front desk attendant while demanding money from the registers. The suspect fled the area before the deputies’ arrival.

The Southwest Station’s Robbery/Burglary Suppression Team (RBST) assumed the investigation. Through investigative leads and use of video surveillance, members of RBST positively identified the suspect as Anthony Boatman, a 28-year-old resident of Moreno Valley.

On May 8, 2023, Boatman was located near the 22500 block of Belcanto Drive in the City of Moreno Valley, where he was taken into custody during an unrelated incident. Boatman was in possession of a stolen 9mm semi-automatic handgun when he was arrested, which appears to be the same handgun used in the robbery. Southwest Station RBST authored a search warrant for Boatman’s vehicle and residence for additional evidence of the robbery. During the search, deputies located several items of evidence to include clothing worn by Boatman during the robbery.

Boatman was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center for several weapons related charges and robbery, where he is being held on $1,000,000 bail. Anyone with additional information related to this case is encouraged to contact Deputy Gordon Mitchell of the Southwest Station RBST Team at (951) 696-3419.

Reporting Deputy: Sergeant Josh Hephner

File # TE231230006

Source & photo: Riverside County Sheriff’s Office