A convicted felon suspected of stealing mail in Norco and using a victim’s credit card to make purchases at retail outlets was being held without bail Thursday.
Jacob Andrew Williamson, 26, of Jurupa Valley was booked into the Robert Presley Jail Tuesday night on suspicion of identity theft, first-degree burglary and probation violations.
According to Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Torres, Williamson allegedly pried open a community mailbox in the 1400 block of Valley Drive, near Rock Vista Park, and took an undisclosed quantity of mail last Saturday night.
Torres alleged that the probationer immediately went on a spending spree, using a credit card sent to one of the residents on Valley Drive to make multiple purchases at different stores.
The ensuing investigation allegedly confirmed that Williamson was the individual conducting the fraudulent transactions, according to the sergeant.
About 9 p.m. Tuesday, patrol deputies spotted the suspect’s car traveling through the intersection of La Sierra and Magnolia avenues in Riverside and signaled him to stop, which he did. He was taken into custody without incident, Torres said.
Jail records show Williamson has prior felony convictions in Riverside County, but the offenses were not specified.