News Briefs

Alert deputy makes drug arrest

Jimmy David Smith. Photo provided by Riverside County Sheriff’s Department

A drug arrest was made Saturday of a Wildomar man moments after he exited the Main Gate in Canyon Lake.

After noticing a car with expired registration as it exited the Main Gate in Canyon Lake around 2:00 a.m. Saturday, Canyon Lake Police Department Deputy Marston pulled in behind the vehicle to make a traffic stop. The driver apparently attempted to avoid Marston by speeding into a shopping center in Canyon Hills. The vehicle eventually stopped alongside Railroad Canyon Road near Church Street.

A records check revealed the driver, Jimmy David Smith, 53, of Wildomar, had a felony warrant for his arrest and was currently on probation for possession of stolen property. Marston searched the vehicle and located almost an ounce of methamphetamine, a scale, packaging, drug paraphernalia and well over $2,000 in cash.

Smith was arrested and booked into Riverside County Jail for possession of drugs for sale, possession of a stolen vehicle and his felony warrant.

Bassmasters hold tournament

During a warm July summer night, the Canyon Lake Bassmasters held a tournament where nine boats and 19 anglers participated. The team of Brian Hohn and Jack Smith were declared the winners with five fish caught, weighing a total of 16.14 lbs.

July is always a night tournament because of the heat. When fish are caught during the tournament, they need to be kept in live wells until weigh-in, after which they are released back into the lake. Holding the summer tournaments at night keeps the water in the live wells cooler and better for the fish.

The team of Travis Smith and Jerry Jones caught five fish (15.54 lbs.) to finish in second place and the team of Joe Merrill and Trevor Moreno also caught five fish (14.97 lbs.) to finish in third place.

“Congrats to all,” the club’s Jude Donahue said. “It was a warm summer night and a fun tournament.”

Dillan Smith receives masters degree

Dillan Smith, of Canyon Lake, was one of more than 3,370 students who completed degree requirements from Kansas State University in spring 2020.

Dillan received his Master of Science degree from the university.

EVMWD warns customers of phone scams

Many water customers across the Southern California region have reported receiving scam phone calls regarding payment of their water bills. The scammers, posing as agency representatives, demand customers pay their bills immediately via credit card or water service will be disconnected.

“Do not follow these instructions,” Greg Thomas, general manager for Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, said. “EVMWD will never call you to demand payment; any calls of this nature should be ignored.

In addition, EVMWD has currently suspended shutoffs through Sept 30 due to COVID-19 impacts on its customers. Those struggling to pay their water bill can call the water district to discuss payment plans and assistance.

“We are here to protect our community and provide essential services as we continue to face the effects of COVID-19,” Greg said. “We want our customers to be aware of the scams that exist so that they do not fall victim. If in doubt about a payment request, please call our Customer Service team so that they can confirm its authenticity for you.”

Customers should be especially suspicious if payment is requested via gift card, prepaid card, money transfer or similar methods that make it hard to trace or return, Greg said. Customers can visit www.evmwd.com to view the legitimate payment options provided to EVMWD customers.

COVID-19 scam calls on the rise

From tax season to the COVID-19 pandemic, fraudsters have been on a mission to lure victims with frightening falsehoods and threats that could be hard to ignore. In fact, even as the country was assessing the early days of the pandemic, scammers made an estimated 1 million or more COVID-19 related calls per day to Americans’ smartphones.

And the calls continue to increase. Pandemic-related scams increased 70 percent from May to June and have already cost Americans more than $80 million this year.

As scam protection gets smarter, so do fraudsters. Many scammers will use a technique called “Caller ID Spoofing,” disguising their phone number to make it look like a local number so people are more likely to answer. If you receive a call from a local number that you’re not familiar with and want to play it safe, let it go to voicemail and, if needed, call back later.