Law Enforcement Operation in Anza Mountain Communities
April 5, 2025 – Riverside County Sheriff's Office officials report that on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at 7:30 a.m., over 
seventy law enforcement officers from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, Banning Police Department, Hemet Police Department, Beaumont Police Department, Riverside County Probation, and the Riverside County District Attorney's Office participated in a proactive law enforcement effort in the mountain communities of Anza, Sage, Pinyon Pines, Idyllwild, and Aguanga. The operation was supported by members of the Hemet, San Jacinto, and Southwest Special Enforcement Teams, Probation and Compliance Team, Rural Crime Team, Mounted Enforcement Detail, Sheriff's Emergency Response Team, the Vehicle Interdiction Pipeline Enforcement Resource, and the Marijuana Enforcement Team. These teams conducted multiple probation and parole compliance searches focused on subjects involved in drug use, theft and repeated criminal conduct.
Contraband located during these searches included methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin and over 30 pounds of processed marijuana. Several arrests involved convicted felons found in possession of ammunition and the discovery of several dismantled stolen vehicles found at an illicit chop shop. 21 individuals were arrested for a variety of felony, misdemeanor charges and for violation of probation and parole terms. Many of the felony drug arrests were as a result of the recent changes to controlled substance possession laws enacted with the passing of Proposition 36. These felonies include mandatory appearances and are accompanied by court ordered treatment for substance abuse.
The following is a list of persons arrested during the operation:
- Michael Smith, a 48-year-old resident of Hemet, arrested on drug-related charges.
- Richard Rodriguez, a 34-year-old resident of Anza, arrested on three misdemeanor warrants.
- Dale Henderson, a 42-year-old resident of Anza, arrested for domestic violence.
- Jon Chance, a 40-year-old resident of Anza, arrested for weapon and drug-related charges.
- Jessica Nowlin, a 37-year-old resident of Anza, arrested for drug-related charges.
- Taylor Dravenstatt, a 32-year-old resident of Anza, arrested for violation of parole.
- Ivan Maybrey, a 23-year-old resident of Anza, arrested on a misdemeanor warrant.
- Vincent Valdez, a 57-year-old resident of Anza, arrested for weapon-related charges and probation violation.
- Eduardo Medina, a 49-year-old resident of Anza, arrested on a misdemeanor warrant.
- Kyle Murdy, a 38-year-old resident of Anza, arrested for drug-related charges and probation violation.
- Luis Meza, a 31-year-old resident of Aguanga, arrested for drug-related charges.
- Nathan Zapata, a 46-year-old resident of Temecula, arrested for weapon-related charges.
- Maritza Martinez, a 27-year-old resident of Temecula, arrested for drug-related charges.
- Elaina Hartley, a 34-year-old resident of Anza, arrested on a misdemeanor warrant and drug-related charges.
- Tasha Leonard, a 39-year-old resident of Anza, arrested on a misdemeanor warrant and drug-related charges.
- Joseph Curran, a 45-year-old resident of Anza, arrested for drug-related charges and probation violation.
- Chrystal Ross, a 31-year-old resident of Aguanga, arrested on a felony warrant.
- Michael Jones, a 37-year-old resident of Banning, arrested for drug-related charges.
- Levi Scott, a 34-year-old resident of Anza, arrested for chop shop and violation of parole.
- Amber Scott, a 36-year-old resident of Anza, arrested for conspiracy and chop shop.
- Stuart Bowman, a 51-year-old resident of Aguanga, arrested on a misdemeanor warrant.
The Riverside Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to providing proactive law enforcement and is focused on rooting out criminal activity from our communities. These large-scale operations would not be possible without the collaborative efforts of our extended law enforcement partners and the direct support of our residents.
Reporting Supervisor: Sergeant Matthew Cramer
File # D250930005
Source: Riverside County Sheriff's Office
