A convicted felon accused of breaking into wineries, golf resorts and other businesses in the Temecula Valley over a two-month span was charged Wednesday with multiple counts of burglary.
Tyler James Goulet, 32, of Temecula was arrested Saturday following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation that began in June.
Along with 10 counts of felony burglary, Goulet is charged with vandalism and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using planning or sophistication to commit a felony.
Another Temecula man, 36-year-old Perry Walter, is suspected of conspiring in the burglaries, but his whereabouts remain unknown.
Goulet pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Wednesday afternoon before Superior Court Judge Elaine Kiefer, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Sept. 8 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta and ordered that the defendant be held on $250,000 bail at the nearby Byrd Detention Center.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Frank Tiburzio, beginning in June and continuing through July, Goulet allegedly targeted vintners, golf clubs and other enterprises in burglaries that resulted in various property being stolen. A specific dollar value associated with the goods was not provided.
The sheriff’s Special Investigation Bureau ultimately connected the defendant to the rash of break-ins, obtaining a search warrant that was served at his residence in the 44500 block of Bedford Court on Saturday afternoon, Tiburzio said.
“Numerous items of evidence were located linking Goulet (and Walter) to numerous burglaries,” the sergeant said.
Goulet was taken into custody without incident.
Court records show the defendant has a string of prior burglary convictions, as well as convictions for battery and being in possession of drug paraphernalia.
Walter was described as Caucasian, 5-feet-10 inches tall and 170 pounds, with black hair and hazel eyes. Anyone with information on his location was asked to contact Detective Shawn Pourier at 951-217-4402.