1 Murrieta Thief Caught, 1 Sought In Southwest RivCo Crime Spree: Police

TEMECULA, CA — While police arrested one suspected Temecula thief, another is still being sought, authorities said Tuesday. The duo are believed responsible for a recent crime spree across Southwest Riverside County, allegedly hitting up cellphone stores in Temecula, Murrieta and Perris throughout the month of August.

"One of these incidents occurred on Tuesday, August 29, when Temecula Police officers responded to a reported robbery at a wireless store on Temecula Parkway in the early afternoon," according to sheriff's Sgt. Steve Fredericks. "Two black male adults used force against a store employee while stealing several cellular phones from display cases within the store."

It was after that incident that police say they ultimately identified two suspects in the case: 20 year-old Melvone Garrett of San Bernardino and 21 year-old Richie Combs of Rialto. Garrett is pictured above on the left, while Combs is pictures on the right.

Through the combined efforts of Temecula, Perris and Murrieta police, authorities say they tracked down one of the suspects last week.

"On Wednesday, September 6, 2017, deputies with the Perris Police Burglary Suppression Team and Temecula Police detectives located and arrested Garrett in the city of San Bernardino," Fredericks said, adding that the other suspect — Richie Combs — remains outstanding.

"Detectives continue to investigate Garrett’s and Comb’s potential involvement in other incidents," the sergeant said.

Garrett was booked into the Banning jail on $30,000 bail, according to booking records.

Anyone who knows where Combs may be located, or who has information related to this case, is asked to contact Detective Jeff Fisher at (951) 696-3000.

Booking photos show Melvone Garrett, left, and Richie Combs, right / Courtesy: Riverside County Sheriff's Department