A 31-year-old Moreno Valley man was arrested after he allegedly stole several items from a residence in Nuevo, including a motorcycle, and led authorities on an off-road chase.
Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Perris station responded to a burglary in the 30000 block of 12th Avenue in Nuevo at 8:12 a.m. Friday. Several items were taken, including the motorcycle, which had a tracking device, sheriff’s officials said.
The motorcycle was tracked to the 14000 block of Las Brisis Way in Moreno Valley, and a sheriff’s department helicopter, along with deputies from the Moreno Valley station, responded and located the stolen motorcycle in the back of a white Chevy pickup truck.
The occupants of the truck drove off and a vehicle pursuit was initiated. During the pursuit, the driver, later identified as Armando Gonzalez, allegedly tossed out a handgun from the truck, which was recovered by deputies.
Gonzalez drove the Chevy off-road and the helicopter continued to follow the vehicle into the hills of Nuevo, authorities said. With the help of the sheriff Special Enforcement Bureau armored vehicle, the suspect stopped fleeing voluntarily near Elkins Road and Jules Street, the department said.
Gonzalez was taken into custody without incident. A search of the Chevy allegedly revealed the stolen motorcycle, narcotics inside the vehicle, and a hidden compartment in the tailgate, which allegedly contained an AR-15 style rifle.
Sheriff’s officials said Gonzalez is currently on post-release community supervision from Los Angeles County, but no further information about his record was provided. He was booked into jail for multiple felony charges.
Anyone with additional information about the case was urged to call Deputy Smith of the sheriff’s Moreno Valley station at 951-486-6700.