Temecula Robbery Leads To Convicted Felon's Arrest In Anza: Sheriff

TEMECULA, CA — A convicted felon who robbed a Temecula business last month and made off with the goods was found and arrested in Anza this week, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department announced Thursday.

Bradford Wayne Byrnes, 32, was being held without bail at Murrieta's Southwest Detention Center on suspicion of second-degree robbery and a felony warrant, jail records show.

The investigation into Byrnes began Nov. 16, when he allegedly robbed the Temecula business located in the 32000 block of Temecula Parkway, according to the sheriff's department.

Byrnes assaulted a loss prevention officer at the store before speeding off in a vehicle with the merchandise, the agency reported.

Deputies from the Southwest Sheriff's Station began an investigation that led to Byrnes and his 4 p.m. arrest Wednesday near the 56000 block of Highway 371 in Anza, according to the department.

Byrnes tried to run from the deputies but was quickly captured without incident, the sheriff's department reported.

According to court records, Byrnes' criminal history in Riverside County stems back more than a decade. In addition to multiple misdemeanor convictions — including battery, vandalism, petty theft, fraud, and trespassing — he has felony convictions of assault, resisting a police officer, and being a convicted felon and narcotics addict in possession of a firearm, the records show.