Hemet, Calif. — On Monday, October 9, 2023, in the early morning hours, the Hemet Public Safety Communications Center received calls for service in the community known as Seven Hills. The calls for service were in regards to residential burglaries and attempted residential burglaries. Officers responded to each incident and preliminary information revealed all incidents were related. The Hemet Police Department’s Investigations Bureau assumed the investigation and utilized the Riverside County Gang Impact Team’s (GIT) assistance. During the investigation, two suspects were identified.
On Wednesday, October 11, 2023, members of GIT arrested one of the suspects, 27-year-old Todd Thornton Jr., resident of San Jacinto, in the act of committing another residential burglary in the unincorporated area of Hemet. Later that day, a second suspect, 32-year-old Andre Johnson, resident of Hemet, was also arrested by members of GIT.
Thornton and Johnson are both being charged with robbery, burglary, attempted burglary, criminal threats, false imprisonment, and assault with a deadly weapon. They are each being held on $175,000 bail.
Anyone with additional information regarding this incident can contact Corporal Wood at (951) 765-2497, or provide anonymous information through the Hemet Police Department’s smartphone app, available for free Apple App Store for iOS devices and Google Play for Android users. Anonymous tips are always accepted.
