On 07/22/13 at about 3:18 am, officers responded to 4602 W. Florida Ave. (Winco Store) regarding two suspicious subjects in the parking lot possibly burglarizing a vehicle. Hemet Police Officer Eric Goodwyn arrived at the location and contacted Christopher Whitesell and Crystal Hawkins in the vehicle.
Officer Goodwyn provided dispatch the license plate number, which returned as a stolen vehicle on 07/21/13. Both subjects were taken into custody. During a search of the vehicle, numerous stolen items were located. At the time of this notification, there was stolen property from victims of five separate vehicle burglaries. At least two of the vehicle burglaries occurred within the last couple of hours and the victims were unaware of the thefts.
Due to the large quantity of stolen property, additional victims are expected. The investigation is on-going.
The Hemet Police Department asks for theft victims, not already contacted, to call Hemet Police at 951 765-2400. One of the items recovered is a camera. The camera contains unique & potentially priceless photos following the birth of a beautiful baby. For privacy reasons, the photos are not being released at this time. The camera (and other items) may have been stolen from a pick-up truck in Hemet within the last day or two.
Christopher Whitesell- 23 years old of Hemet
Charges: Possession of Stolen Vehicle, Possession of Stolen Property
Crystal Hawkins- 24 years old of Hemet
Charges: Possession of Stolen Vehicle, Possession of Stolen Property
Additional charges pending.