Suspects Arrested in Train Burglary Series
December 15, 2024 – Riverside County Sheriff’s Office officials report that on Friday, August 2, 2024, at 9:00 a.m., deputies from the Thermal Sheriff's Station responded to the area of Hammond Road and 68th Avenue, in the unincorporated area of Mecca, regarding a train burglary. Upon arrival, deputies located multiple items that had been removed from one of the cargo trains, but the suspects fled before the deputies arrived. The Southern Coachella Valley Community Services District Team assumed the investigation and learned the suspects were involved in a series of train burglaries in the area.
During the investigation, the Southern Coachella Valley Community Services District Team identified two locations where the stolen property was located. On November 6, 2024, the East Rural Crime Team, Coachella Community Action Team, La Quinta Special Enforcement Team, and Union Pacific Railroad Police assisted in serving a search warrant on the suspect's residence and a storage unit located in the 82200 block of Santa Rosa Avenue, Indio. Over $80,000 in merchandise was recovered from the residence and storage unit. The suspects, identified as 29-year-old Renato Compean Briones and 39-year-old Carla Virginia Urias Herrera, both residents of Indio, were arrested and booked into John Benoit Detention Center for burglary, possession of stolen property, and violation of probation.
Deputies continued the investigation and learned of additional locations and separate crews involved in this series of train burglaries. A third search warrant was served at the 88-800 block of 62nd Avenue, Thermal. Over $12,000 in merchandise was recovered from the residence. The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Jesus Ivan Castillo Ruiz, a resident of Thermal, was arrested and booked into John Benoit Detention Center for burglary, possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools, and conspiracy.
The Southern Coachella Valley, Community Services District team, continued investigating the train burglaries and identified additional locations where stolen merchandise may be stored. On November 21, 2024, the East Rural Crime Team and Coachella Community Action Team assisted in serving a search warrant at the 65-100 block of Calle Sor Juana, in the unincorporated community of Mecca, along with a storage unit located in the 53-300 block of Highway 111, Coachella. Over $76,000 in merchandise was recovered from the residence and storage unit. The suspects, identified as 38-year-old Juan Pablo Ortega Hernandez and 36-year-old Deette Nadine Amezquita Luna, both residents of Mecca, were arrested and booked into John Benoit Detention Center for possession of stolen property and conspiracy.
On November 22, 2024, Thermal Sheriff's Station deputies responded to a train burglary in the area of Hammond Road, an unincorporated community of Mecca. Upon arrival, they located numerous train containers open with missing merchandise and a vehicle parked at the location, a searched was conducted, but the suspect was not located.
The Southern Coachella Valley Community Services District Team identified an additional location where stolen merchandise was stored. On December 4, 2024, with the assistance of the East Rural Crime Team, and the Coachella Community Action Team a search warrant was served in the 53-300 block of Highway 111, Coachella. Over $26,000 in merchandise was recovered from the storage unit. On December 10, 2024, the suspect, identified as 39-year-old Bernardo Acosta, a resident of Mecca, was located and booked into John Benoit Detention Center for burglary, possession of stolen property, and grand theft.
This is an ongoing investigation, and no further details are available. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Deputies Hernandez and Padilla at the Thermal Sheriff's Station at (760) 863-8990.
Reporting Supervisor: Sergeant Ernestina Contreras
File # C242150004
Source & photo: Riverside County Sheriff’s Office
