Local Men Used Craigslist Marijuana Ad to Lure Robbery Victims, Police Say

An undercover police operation in the Southwest Riverside County area has resulted in the arrest of five men suspected in a string of armed robberies of would-be drug buyers dating back to August, authorities said Friday.

The five allegedly used Craigslist to offer large quantities of marijuana for sale, luring prospective buyers to remote areas, Riverside County sheriff’s Deputy Mike Vasquez said.

It was on Sept. 6 that the sheriff’s department first began investigating this case, when deputies responded to a report of an armed robbery in the Mead Valley area, according to Vasquez.

“Deputies learned that several suspects robbed and assaulted the victims and fled the area with a large sum of money and property that belonged to the victims,” Vasquez said. “The initial investigation revealed the suspects used the Craig’s List internet site to lure the victims to a rural area in order to sell them large quantities of marijuana.”

The same method was used for other armed robberies in the area for several weeks before that, he said.

Vasquez said deputies eventually found another, similar ad on Craigslist for marijuana, and arranged a meeting to make a purchase. They then responded in force to the meet near the intersection of Orange Avenue and Old Elsinore Road around 10 a.m. Wednesday.

“The five suspects arrived at the above location and were quickly apprehended by awaiting deputy sheriffs,” Vasquez said. “The suspects were found in possession of evidence linking them to several additional and similar type armed robberies.”

Those arrested were Jarrel Peters, 23, and Javon Scott, 21, both of Temecula; Antonio Dilworth, 25, and Derrick Reynolds, 22, both of Hemet; and Cecil Bradley, 18, of San Jacinto. They were booked for second degree robbery and attempted robbery, according to jail records.

Scott was to appear in court Friday at the Riverside Hall of Justice. The others were to appear Dec. 16 and 17, also at the Hall of Justice.

– City News Service contributed to this report.