Three men suspected of shoplifting at a business in Lake Elsinore were taken into custody, with two facing felony charges because of the passage of Proposition 36, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department announced Friday.
Deputies from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station’s Robbery and Burglary Suppression Team conducted a quality-of-life operation on Thursday in collaboration with loss prevention officers at a business in the 18200 block of Collier Avenue, the department reported.
Three men allegedly stole merchandise from the business and were identified as 46-year-old Nicholas Whilhelm of Lake Elsinore, 30-year-old Thomas Thorsborne of Menifee, and 39-year-old Iran Flores Alvarado of Lake Elsinore.
Flores Alvarado was arrested and booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center on suspicion of shoplifting, while Wilhelm and Thorsborne qualified for Proposition 36 charges and were booked on suspicion of shoplifting and petty theft with prior offenses.
“With the enactment of Proposition 36, those committing thefts can be prosecuted for a felony if they have two prior convictions of similar offense,” sheriff’s officials said in a statement.
Anyone with information regarding the shoplifting was urged to call Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station Deputies Noel or Castro at 951-245-3300.