Family of Menifee Robbery Victim Offers $1,000 Reward

The family of a 79-year-old Menifee woman is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a home invasion robbery suspect and return of the woman's valuable jewelry collection, the victim's son said today.

Lake Elsinore resident Troy Wright, whose mother was robbed at gunpoint in Menifee Dec. 23, said the woman's jewelry is worth approximately $50,000. It was stolen from a locked bureau by an intruder who was in the home only a short time and apparently took nothing else.

"Nothing else in the house was disturbed, so he obviously knew exactly where he was going," Wright said.

Wright said his mother lives alone at the residence in the area of Columbus Drive and Waverly Drive, just southeast of Ridgemoor and Murrieta roads. At about 5 p.m., she was in the dining room making apple pies for a Christmas dinner. A man, who Wright said entered the property through a side gate and an unlocked garage door, confronted her while carrying a handgun and a hammer.

"He told my mother to lie on the floor, and at that point he taped her hands," Wright said. "He then took her to another room, taped her ankles and put furniture in front of the door so she couldn't get out."

Wright said the man apparently went straight to the spot where the jewelry collection was stored and left with it, leaving other valuable items untouched.

After the suspect left, the woman was able to free herself and crawled out a window to alert a neighbor, who called 911. The victim was unharmed, although obviously shaken by the incident.

Police have little to go on because the man was wearing a ski mask, Wright said. The only description given by police is of a male with a dark complexion, about 5-foot-5 tall.

Wright said he is convinced the crime was "an inside job." He said the residence has been undergoing extensive home improvements and several workers subcontracted by the renovation contractor have been in and out of the house for weeks. He said police are in the process of identifying all those subcontractors for possible interviews, but that leads so far have not been successful.

After waiting a week and being told by police that the public's help would be needed, Wright said he and family members decide to offer the reward.

Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to call Detective Omar Rodriguez of the Menifee Police Department at 951-210-1053.