Menifee man arrested on suspicion of storage unit thefts

By Doug Spoon, Editor

A Menifee man is one of two suspects who were arrested last week in connection with a string of burglaries to storage units, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said today.

Erick Morris, 42, of Menifee and Eric Creech, 37, of Sacramento were booked into the Riverside County jail for burglary, possession of stolen property and conspiracy, according to a Sheriff’s Department press release. They were arrested Sept. 22 after search warrants were served at four storage units and suspected stolen property was recovered.

Deputies responded on Sept. 19 to the report of a burglary to a storage unit in the 22000 block of Knabe Road in Temescal Valley. Several units were burglarized, and stolen property included one-of-a-kind paintings and artwork valued at over $40,000. The Lake Mathews Special Enforcement Team identified the two suspects and three storage unit locations associated with them.

The investigation indicated that the suspects may have committed similar burglaries to units in Menifee and unincorporated Murrieta. Authorities are working with personnel from those agencies to identify victims and return their property.

Bail was set at $10,000 and Morris was released on Sept. 23. He has a Dec. 1 court date, according to jail records.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Deputy Staggs at the Lake Mathews Sheriff’s Station, 951-272-5600.