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A man and a woman from Romania were arrested in Riverside County for a distraction theft. Investigators suspect that the suspects may have been involved in other similar robberies. The suspects distracted an elderly victim and robbed him of his jewelry. The suspects were located in Palm Springs and arrested, and a search of their vehicle revealed more stolen items. The suspects are facing charges of elder abuse, robbery, and conspiracy to commit a crime. Josh DuBose reported
A male and a female, both from Romania, were apprehended in Riverside County earlier this week for engaging in a distraction theft. Authorities suspect that the suspects may have been involved in other similar robberies. The incident occurred on August 7 when deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of a robbery in the parking lot of a business on Hamber Avenue in Eastvale. According to a news release from the Sheriff’s Department, an elderly victim was approached by the suspects, identified as Petre Alexandru, 27, and Gratiela Stoian, 22, who engaged the victim in conversation. During this interaction, the suspects managed to distract the victim and stole jewelry that the victim was wearing before fleeing the scene in a vehicle. Investigators were able to identify the suspects’ vehicle and discovered that the couple was also responsible for a similar theft in Vancouver, Canada. Alexandru and Stoian were apprehended in Palm Springs, and a search of their vehicle uncovered several pieces of jewelry, including necklaces, rings, watches, and bracelets, which authorities believe may have been stolen from other victims. The suspects were subsequently booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center, where their bail was set at $500,000 each. They are now facing charges of elder abuse, robbery, and conspiracy to commit a crime. If anyone has any information about this case or believes they may have been a victim of these suspects, they are urged to contact Deputy Morris at the Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station..
