3 arrested in Southwest Justice after deputies get break in burglary case

Three people were arrested Saturday in Lake Elsinore as part of an investigation into several commercial burglaries in the area.

James Everett Jones, 37, Tina Jean Dillon, 40, and Robert Allen Straus, 27, were taken into custody after evidence was found at a home in the 15000 block of Grand Avenue linking them to the burglaries, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

Deputies responded to a call on May 20 from Lowe’s Home Improvement in Lake Elsinore of a woman trying to get a cash refund for merchandise that had been stolen from the store, the department said.

The woman fled in a black Honda Civic driven by a man. Surveillance cameras caught images of the woman and of the car, giving deputies their first major break in the case.

The two were identified as Dillon and Jones, and a search of their home turned up more evidence linking them to other burglaries and commercial thefts, the department said.

Also during the search, Straus was found to be in possession of burglaries tools and drug paraphernalia, the department said. He was also determined to be in violation of his parole.

Jones and Dillon were booked into the Southwest Justice Center in French Valley. Jones faces charges of burglary and being under the influence of a controlled substance, according to court records. Dillon faces those charges as well as petty theft.

Dillon’s bail was set at $5,000, Jones’ at $10,000, jail records indicated.

Straus was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on a charge of being under the influence of a controlled substance and a parole violation. He’s being held without bail.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station at 951-245-3300.

–Steven Barrie

The Press-Enterprise