'Suspicious Persons' Call Leads to Arrests of Wanted Man, Woman

A San Jacinto man and his girlfriend were behind bars in Banning on Thursday, with their past alleged crimes finally catching up to them, police said Thursday.

The two were busted a day earlier when a San Jacinto police officer responded to a call regarding “a suspicious male and female” near North San Jacinto Avenue and Ramona Blvd, according to Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant David Haar.

Haar said the officer happened to recognize the man, 37-year-old Russel Lewis Barth II, who was wanted in connection to a previous home burglary.

“…some of the stolen property [from the burglary] was pawned in local pawn shops revealing the possible identity of a suspect in the burglary,” Haar said.

Since Barth matched the description of the thief who pawned the stolen items, the officer took him into custody on the spot, according to Haar.

The man’s girlfriend, 38-year-old Isabel Anzures, was arrested on a felony drug charges—also stemming from an earlier incident.  She had an outstanding warrant for possession of methamphetamine, Haar said.

Jail records indicated that Barth was being held on $25,000 bail, while Anzures was held on $5,000.