Murrieta Home Targeted In Widespread Narcotics Raid

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A long-running law enforcement investigation into a Riverside County drug-trafficking ring led to a Murrieta home — one of 24 locations targeted by police Wednesday morning.

Personnel from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Cannabis Regulation Task Force, the Murrieta Police Department and other law enforcement agencies served narcotics-related search warrants at 23 separate residences and one commercial building Wednesday morning, including a home in the 39500 block of Glenwood Court in Murrieta.

Specifics about what was found at the Murrieta residence were not provided, but the sheriff's department reported that during the search warrants, 18 of the homes had been converted into illegal marijuana cultivation operations.

"The electrical meters at those 18 residences had also been bypassed, so the residents were able to steal electricity from Southern California Edison to run their illegal operation. Per Southern California Edison, preliminary estimates put the amount of stolen electricity over $1.5 million," according to the sheriff's department.

The searches also uncovered 15,000 marijuana plants, 340 pounds of processed marijuana, 9.7 pounds of honey oil, five handguns, two shotguns, firearm parts and equipment to assemble 50 rifles, and $75,000 in cash, according to the sheriff's department.

Eighteen people were arrested in connection with Wednesday's operation. The sheriff's department listed the arrestees as:

• 27-year-old San Jacinto resident Jorge Eduardo Villa Del Toro
• 28-year-old Hemet resident Daniel Rosas Jimenez
• 55-year-old San Jacinto resident Jose Manuel Gutierrez Jimenez
• 31-year-old San Jacinto resident Ramon Gutierrez Quintero
• 61-year-old San Jacinto resident Alfonso Jimenez Sandoval
• 24-year-old San Jacinto resident Anna Gutierrez
• 34-year-old San Jacinto resident Ernesto Navarro
• 41-year-old San Jacinto resident Martin Muro-Guerra
• 31-year-old San Jacinto resident Jesus Palomera Perez
• 52-year-old San Jacinto resident Maria Ester Michel
• 35-year-old San Jacinto resident Victor Michel Bernal
• 34-year-old Salt Lake City, Utah resident Maraila Delbillar
• 38-year-old Beaumont resident Cesar Carino Martinez
• 31-year-old Hemet resident Manuel Gutierrez
• 32-year-old Hemet resident Emilio Carino
• 20-year-old La Puente resident Jonathan Perez
• 31-year-old Homeland resident Ramiro Godinez
• 29-year-old Los Angeles resident Ruben Diaz

The search warrants were served at the following locations:

• 22600 block of San Jacinto Avenue, San Jacinto
• 300 block of Quandt Ranch Road, San Jacinto
• 1700 block of Rolling Meadows, San Jacinto
• 200 block of North Wateka Drive, San Jacinto
• 500 block of Camino Los Banos, San Jacinto
• 700 block of South Miramar Avenue, San Jacinto
• 1700 block of Fitzgerald Avenue, San Jacinto
• 100 block of Kellam Avenue, San Jacinto
• 600 block of Caribbean Place, San Jacinto
• 42000 block of Gibbel Road, Hemet
• 1000 block of East Whittier Avenue, Hemet
• 25900 block of Margarita Street, Moreno Valley
• 25000 block of Lake Street, Hemet
• 22900 block of Mountain Lane, Perris
• 300 block of Brinton Avenue, San Jacinto
• 1700 block of Verbena Place, San Jacinto
• 39500 block of Glenwood Court, Murrieta
• 1400 block of Burns Lane, San Jacinto
• 3100 block of Bellwood Street, Hemet
• 300 block of De Anza Drive, San Jacinto
• 400 block of De Anza Drive, San Jacinto
• 44400 block of Hillcrest Lane, Hemet
• 40400 block of Marsha Court, Hemet
• 500 block of Mayberry Avenue, Hemet