Man Arrested After Leaving Carjacked Truck at Home While Taking a Motorcycle "Test Drive"

Man Arrested After Leaving Carjacked Truck at Home While Taking a Motorcycle “Test Drive”

Staff Writer

Monday, April 24th, 2017

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TEMECULA – A Murrieta man was arrested for a carjacking and a motorcycle theft on Saturday evening authorities said. On April 12, 2017, a carjacking occurred at a Temecula home. The victim was sitting in his truck in the driveway of his home when a white male adult approached him and brandished a handgun. He demanded the vehicle and fled in from the scene in the victim’s truck. The victim was not injured during the carjacking and the suspect managed to elude authorities.

Ten days later, on April 22, 2017, at around 2:00 p.m. a second victim reported that his motorcycle was stolen from the 42000 block of Orange Blossom Drive in Temecula. The suspect, under the guise of a customer, left a pickup truck at the home while he “test drove” the motorcycle, which was for sale. The suspect did not return, and the victim called the police. When they arrived, authorities realized that the pickup truck was the same truck stolen during the April 12th carjacking and the suspect matched the description.

At around 7:45 p.m. San Jacinto Police with the assistance of the Sheriff’s helicopter, located the motorcycle parked at a home in the 2000 block of Tall Grass Court in San Jacinto. Ryan Wilhite, 28, was taken into custody. Detectives learned that Wilhite was responsible for both the carjacking and the motorcycle theft. He was booked into the Southwest Detention Center and both vehicles were recovered.

Anyone with information about either of these incidents is encouraged to contact Detective Jeff Fisher of the Temecula Police Department at (951) 696-3000.