Full Notification

DATE/TIME: Thursday, January 18, 2018

INCIDENT: PC368 Elder Abuse, PC273A Child Abuse, PC530.5 Identity Theft
HS11366 Maintain a house for drug sales and use,

LOCATION: 7000 block of Church Avenue, Highland

SUSPECT(S): Eric Nicholas Villa, 28 years old from Highland
Rod Eugene Pierce, 55 years old from San Bernardino
Jessica Mary Beltran, 28 years old from Highland
Dale Charles Baker, 27 years old from Hesperia
George Michael Stinzel, 26 years old from Hesperia
Anthony Don Souders, 44 years old from Highland
Scott Eugene Diedrich, 32 years old from Highland
Martha Rodriguez, 39 years old from Highland
Lauren Christina Kastelic, 25 years old from Rialto

SUMMARY:
On Thursday, January 18th, Highland deputies responded to a call of a suspicious van with a male and female passed out inside. When approached by fire/paramedics, suspect driver Rod Pierce ran from the van, leaving suspect Lauren Kastelic inside. Deputies chased Pierce into the nearby condominium complex where he attempted to hide in a condo. Deputies found several subjects, most of them under the influence of controlled substances. Inside they located a disabled adult female who is the homeowner. She told deputies she was afraid of the suspects who had taken over her residence without her permission and were using and selling drugs. Some of the suspects had physically abused her and were injecting substances into her body. The suspects had also accessed her bank account and depleted it of all her funds.

An 11-year-old girl and her mother were also in the condo. The girl’s mother was found to be under the influence of methamphetamine. A search was conducted and stolen items including a San Bernardino County 5 year pin, personal identification, checks, bank statements as well as methamphetamine and heroin, scales, syringes, and paraphernalia were recovered. Once the van was searched, additional stolen items and checks were recovered.

Eric Villa is currently on AB109 PRCS Felony Probation for HS11377, Possession of Methamphetamine. As a part of Governor Jerry Brown’s Realignment Plan, or Assembly Bill 109, to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court decision requiring the state to lower its prison population by 30,000; offenders with non-violent, non-sexual and non-serious convictions will serve reduced sentences in county jails and be placed on local supervision through county Probation.

Two of the suspects, Anthony Souders, a parolee at large, and Scott Diedrich, managed to escape the residence through a rear window. Anthony Souders is a parolee at large and fled from the location. If anyone knows their whereabouts, they are urged to contact the Highland Police Department at 909.425.9793 or WeTip at 1.800.78CRIME(27463) or you the We-Tip website at www.wetip.com.


Refer: Deputies Mike Kling/Jon Ramstad/Edgar Campos/ Lorraine Bertetto/Detective Jorge Lozano
Station: Highland Police Department
Case #: 131800223 and 13180227
Phone No. 909.425.9797

JOHN McMAHON, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department