Murrieta Man 1 of 5 Arrested in $1-Million Metal Theft, Vandalism Ring

Two men and three women suspected of being part of scrap metal theft ring responsible for more than $1 million in property damage were arrested in Corona Sunday.

Murrieta resident Kris Elliot, 56, was arrested just before 5 p.m. at a vacant commercial site in an unincorporated area of Corona, according to Riverside County Sheriff's Sgt. Ken Chaffin.

Deputies were conducting a check of a vacant business in the 14900 block of Concordia Ranch Road, as recently, several metal buildings located on the vacant property have been severely damaged by vandals unlawfully removing metal from the structures to sell as scrap, the sergeant said in a news release.

During their patrol Sunday, deputies observed five adults allegedly removing materials from the location.

They were taken into custody pending notification of the property owner, who estimated the property damage at more than $1 million.

Through further investigation, Chaffin said two of the suspects were responsible for a majority of the property damage, though the release did not say who.

Arrested along with Elliot were Leonardo Green, 51, of Hemet; Shanna Postin, 50, of Lake Elsinore; Malinda Taylor, 46, of Lake Elsinore; and Nichole Gimple, 28, of Hemet.

Anyone with additional information about this incident is encouraged to contact Investigator Michael Callahan at the Lake Elsinore Police Department at 951-245-3300, or if it is after hours or on the weekend at 951-776-1099.