Authorities arrested a man on Friday after they received a tip from a member of the public that revealed he was trying to meetup with a teenager for sexual purposes in Temecula. On Friday at around p. They received the information from a tip, deputies said. They arrived to find a crowd of about 20 juveniles that were recording the encounter.
They're unsure if they had learned of the incident and arrived at the park or if they were conducting some sort of vigilante sting operation on their own. The man, a year-old Homeland resident named William Vandenbush, was arrested at the scene and booked on suspicion of sending harmful matter to a minor, contacting a minor for sexual purposes and arranging to meet with a minor for sexual purposes, deputies said. Despite the arrest, RSO officials strongly discouraged residents from conducting their own undercover investigations.
While many in the community laud the group as heroes, deputies urge the public to keep their own self interests in mind. You don't know their background, and many times when we have set up operations with our department they're often times arrested and they have firearms on them," said RSO Sergeant Wenndy Brito-Gonzalez. You don't know if these people will run into you or be able to find you online.
Instead, she urges people who come upon information in a case such as this to immediately contact law enforcement. He covers breaking news throughout Southern California. When he's not writing about local events, he enjoys focusing on sports and entertainment.
Resident tip leads deputies to arrest man trying to meet underage girl for sex in Temecula. Featured Local Savings. More from CBS News. Driver dies after crashing into tree in Jurupa Valley. Investigation launched after deadly stabbing in Pomona. Chrome Safari Continue. Be the first to know. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
