Temecula Prostitution Sting Nabs Ex-Chief Deputy Sheriff, Again

TEMECULA, CA — A former Riverside County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Sheriff, who was also the longtime grounds coordinator of the annual Fair & National Date Festival in Indio, was arrested again as part of a prostitution sting in Temecula.

Ronald Dye, 73, of Murrieta was one of nine people taken into custody Wednesday during the sting conducted by sheriff's deputies in the 27000 block of Jefferson Avenue.

The crackdown targeted "Johns" and female prostitutes.

"Law enforcement personnel, operating in an undercover capacity, placed decoy advertisements and responded to existing advertisements on the internet that are commonly used for the solicitation of online prostitution," the Riverside County Sheriff's Department reported.

To catch the Johns, the undercover deputies brokered agreements for paid sex acts and set up a meeting place with men who responded to the fake ad. Once a John showed up, he was taken into custody, according to the sheriff's department.

Dye, who was allegedly one of those men, was also arrested by deputies Jan. 9 during a prostitution sting near the intersection Jefferson Avenue and Overland Drive in Temecula.

Dye was employed the Riverside County Sheriff's Department from 1969-2004, retiring as a Chief Deputy Sheriff. He served in the Coachella Valley. He was also a longtime grounds coordinator of the annual Fair & National Date Festival in Indio.

In both arrests, Dye was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor prostitution and released the same day. He is now ordered to appear in court Jan. 6, 2021.

During Wednesday's sting, deputies — pretending to be Johns — also targeted women who were soliciting sex online. One woman was snared after agreeing to a price, then showing up at a meeting place where deputies pounced.

In addition to Dye, the following misdemeanor arrests were made during Wednesday's crackdown: Adrien Robinson, 21; Terence Edwards, 48; Arjay Ramos, 28; Christina Sliter, 29; Andrew Chua, 42; Dennis Flores; Alexander Hooten, 29; and Thomas Thurman, 78.

All arrestees were booked and released from the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, the sheriff's department reported.