Riverside PD "Santa and elf" make arrests for drugs and grand theft

Yesterday on Thursday, December 10, 2020, detectives with the Riverside Police Department’s Property Crimes Unit, assisted by officers from the School Resource Officer Unit, conducted a holiday enforcement program that targeted retail theft at one of the busier shopping centers in Riverside. 

 Retail theft dramatically increases during the holiday shopping season and our detectives have been taking a proactive approach toward these crimes through this enforcement program dubbed “Santa’s Intervention.”

 For several hours, detectives and officers worked directly with loss prevention specialists at the Target store in the Canyon Springs shopping center.  Detectives and loss prevention conducted video surveillance inside the store as other detectives and officers remained outside to help detain any theft suspects.  Of those waiting outside were a detective and officer dressed as Santa Claus and his elf.  As the suspects exited the store with merchandise they just stole, Santa and his elf were waiting to take them into custody for the theft.

 As a result of this operation, three arrests were made.  One misdemeanor arrest included a woman who walked out of the store with a shopping cart full of stolen items after making no attempt to pay for the merchandise.  This woman was also in possession of illegal narcotics.

Another misdemeanor arrest involved a local transient who is a habitual thief at this particular store.  Loss Prevention and officers recognized him as he entered the store but stopped him before he could steal again.  He was subsequently arrested for trespassing and being in possession of illegal narcotics. 

The third arrest made was on Patrick Seilsopour, 55-years-old of Murrieta.  He stole expensive Lego toy sets totaling $1,000 and was arrested outside by Santa and his elf for grand theft.  He was later booked into jail but unfortunately due to the current bail schedules for “non-violent” offenses, he was quickly released with a Notice to Appear citation.  Mr. Seilsopour is believed to have committed similar retail thefts at several Target stores in the region.

 Toward the conclusion of the operation, detectives received information about three suspicious men casing vehicles in the shopping center parking lots.  One of the undercover detectives spotted these three men as they were in the act of stealing an older white Honda CR-V.  Two of the men saw the detective and ran off but were quickly apprehended by the other officers.  One suspect resisted arrest but was taken into custody with the help of our undercover Santa, and the second was detained by the undercover elf.  The third suspect who actually stole the Honda was able to flee before he could be stopped by officers.  The stolen Honda was found abandoned nearby and suspect driver was not located, but detectives have him identified and will be making an arrest for car theft in the future. 

Of the two suspects detained, one was identified and later released.  The other was arrested for possession of illegal drugs and resisting arrest.

“Changes in property crime laws within the recent years have contributed to increases in retail theft and shoplifting,” stated Detective Everth Bercian of the Property Crimes Unit.  “Theft of merchandise totaling less than $950 is only a misdemeanor, and any arrest made whether it’s a felony or misdemeanor, results in little to no consequences for these crimes.”

 Our Property Crimes Unit will continue with proactive enforcement operations in its continued mission to prevent and decrease criminal activity in our communities.  Anyone with additional information regarding this operation and arrests can contact Detective Everth Bercian at (951) 826-5376 or ebercian@riversideca.gov.