Police: $100K Spree of Vehicle Break-Ins in Cabazon, Woman Suspect Sought

Cabazon sheriff's officials are reporting a spike in vehicle break-ins in the area-- particularly in cars parked at the local retail outlets.

According to sheriff's Sergeant Alan Meservey, parking lots for the retail shopping district along Seminole Drive in Cabazon all "experienced a significant amount of vehicle burglaries over the past 3 months, where over 50 vehicle burglaries have occurred."

In fact, those crimes have been valued at $100,000 in losses since June, according to Meservey.

Now, after months of looking into these crimes, Meservey says investigators have caught a break by obtaining images of a female suspect.

"Investigators with Riverside County Sheriff's Department assigned to the Cabazon Station are seeking the public's help in identifying this suspect," Meservey said.  "Hopefully someone will recognize her."

Meservey tells Banning-Beaumont Patch the woman pictured above was caught on surveillance cameras on Oct. 8 using a credit card taken in one of the burglaries at the GAP factory store, just moments after the crime happened.  

"The store's video surveillance captured the suspect as she purchased items with this card just moments after the vehicle burglary took place," the sergeant said.

She then apparently used that card a few hours later, at a Riverside Target store-- and was again caught on surveillance video, he said.

"I think she's connected to a bunch [of the burglaries] out there," Meservey told Patch, adding that he doesn't think she is the only one responsible for the crimes.

"She's not doing it alone," he said. 

Still, if investigators can get an identification on this suspect, Meservey hopes the investigation "will snowball" to help stop these crimes.

If you think you recognize the woman pictured here, or have any information to assist investigators with this case, call the Cabazon sheriff's station at 951-922-7100, or email CabazonStation@RiversideSheriff.org.