Four arrested on suspicion of stealing ballot box

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/#a184388

Two men and two boys were in custody today on suspicion of stealing a box containing 123 marked ballots at a polling station in Thermal.

Rafael Murua, 19, of Mecca, and Benjamin Pimental, 19, of North Shore, were taken to the Indio Jail and booked on suspicion of grand theft, according to sheriff’s Investigator Jerry Franchville.

The boys were taken to Indio Juvenile Hall.

The four are suspected of taking the ballot box about 90 minutes after the polling station at the Jerry Rummonds Memorial Youth Center closed, Franchville said.

An election worker was placing the ballot box in her car outside the center in the 87000 block of Church Street when a man got out of a white Ford Thunderbird and grabbed the box, along with other items in her car, including her purse, Franchville said.

Sheriff’s deputies circulated information on the suspect’s vehicle to other law enforcement agencies, and about 30 minutes later, a Border Patrol agent spotted the car at Avenue 62 and Gene Wilmas Road in Mecca, Franchville said.

Investigators subsequently recovered the stolen property from an apartment, he said.

—From news services

Posted by PE.com at 11:45 AM, February 06

[peacetalksforall]

1. I went to the web site to find out whether this was in the U.S. or Canada

or some other place. Couldn't figure it out.

[Warpy]

2. Mecca? Thermal?

Some indication of which state this is in would have been a huge help.

[Omaha Steve]

3. Calf. more info

http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=7829169&nav=menu191_2



Four people are being questioned in the theft of a ballot box last night in Thermal.

According to authorities, the victim said four or five men riding in a white Ford Thuderbird drove up to the victim's vehicle as she was about to load her trunk with the ballot box just outside at the Jerry Rummonds Memorial Youth Center in the 87-200 block of Church St. around 9:45 p.m.

The suspects took the box and several contents inside the vehicle away from the poll worker and, then, sped off.

News Channel 3 has learned that some 123 ballots were in the stolen box.

About 25 minutes passed and an agent from the United States Border Patrol stopped a vehicle matching the description at Avenue 62 and Gene Wilmas Road in Mecca.

Investigators from the Indio Sheriff Station responded to Border Patrol's location and were able to identify the four occupants of the vehicle to be the same suspects in the theft. With the assistance of the USBP, Indio investigators were able to locate an apartment complex where the stolen property was taken and most of the stolen property was recovered.

Arrested were Rafael Murua (age 19 of Mecca), Benjamin Pimental (age 19 of North Shore), and two male juveniles. Murua and Pimental were booked into the Indio Jail for Grand Theft. The two juveniles were booked into the Indio Juvenile Hall and booked for Grand Theft.

According to the County of Riverside Registrar of Voter's Office, there were no voted ballots stolen during the incident. All voted ballots are accounted for.

Stay with News Channel 3 and KESQ.com for the latest on this developing story.