Good Samaritan Helps Authorities Locate a Rancho Cucamonga Purse Snatcher

Staff Writer

Monday, December 5th, 2016

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RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Two San Bernardino men and one San Bernardino juvenile were arrested for stealing a purse from a woman on Sunday afternoon.

At around 4:20 p.m. the woman had just finished watching the Nutcracker play with a friend. While walking back to their vehicles, she was attacked from behind by 18-year-old Dominic Dominguez. Deputies from the Rancho Cucamonga station responded to Civic Center Drive and Kew Avenue near the Lewis Playhouse Theater for the report of the theft.

Witnesses told authorities that a suspect later identified as 18-year-old Dominic Dominguez approached the woman and grabbed her purse from her. He then entered a vehicle with two other occupants and the three left the area. The witness followed the suspects providing deputies with location information.

The suspect vehicle was located near Church Street and Etiwanda Avenue and a traffic stop was conducted. The three occupants including Dominguez, Richard Carranza, a juvenile, and Hugo Avila, 19 were all detained. Deputies searched the vehicle and located a loaded gun under the front passenger seat. The purse with all of its contents was recovered and returned to the victim. The victim was grateful for the help of the witness who went above and beyond to help her get her belongings back. All three suspects were arrested and booked into the West Valley Detention Center and are being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department at (909) 477-2800. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may contact the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78CRIME (27463), or you may leave information on the We-Tip website at www.wetip.com