Temecula Man Released From Custody Following Theft Investigation

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — A Temecula man was out of custody Monday after his arrest last week in Lake Elsinore on suspicion of conspiracy, possession of a stolen vehicle and theft, according to jail records.

Aleve Fakhoury, 22, of Temecula, and Stephen Gaytan, 39, of Perris, were taken into custody late Tuesday night near Cambern and Central avenues. Fakhoury remained behind bars Monday.

Their arrests came after deputies from the Lake Mathews Sheriff’s Station responded around 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, July 14 to a report of a theft at a business in the 17000 block of Van Buren Boulevard in the unincorporated community of Woodcrest. The suspects had left the scene before deputies arrived, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Members of the Lake Mathews Special Enforcement Team took over the investigation and obtained a description of the suspects' vehicle. Working alongside the Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station’s enforcement unit, deputies found the vehicle near Cambern and Central avenues in Lake Elsinore and conducted a traffic stop.

Investigators determined the vehicle had previously been reported stolen, and Fakhoury and Gaytan were arrested. The vehicle was subsequently returned to its owner. The stolen property from the business was not recovered, according to the sheriff's department.

The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities ask anyone with information to contact Deputy Casanova at the Lake Mathews Sheriff's Station at 951-272-5600 or Riverside Sheriff’s Dispatch at 951-776-1099.