Two Suspects Arrested and Released on Bail Following $130,000 HVAC Thefts at Nine Riverside Schools
RIVERSIDE, CA — Two individuals were arrested and subsequently released on bail following a multi-month investigation into extensive theft and vandalism targeting heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems at nine campuses within the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD).
The investigation began on March 2, 2026, when staff at John W. North High School notified Riverside Police officers that several campus HVAC units had been stripped of materials and damaged. Officers canvassed the area for security footage and contacted local businesses, obtaining video evidence of the suspects and their vehicle. Investigators utilized license plate recognition technology to identify the vehicle’s license plate.
As the inquiry progressed, law enforcement discovered that nine different district schools had been subjected to similar copper and material thefts over a two-month period. The total financial damage to the HVAC infrastructure across the affected campuses is estimated to exceed $130,000.
Working alongside RUSD staff, who assisted in gathering surveillance footage and identifying related incidents, Riverside Police officers identified two suspects: 47-year-old Rudy D. Hernandez and 43-year-old Kristy Lynn Zaragoza.
With the assistance of the Riverside Police Department’s PACT team, both suspects were located and taken into custody. Their vehicle was seized as evidence, which led to the recovery of additional materials supporting the case.
Hernandez and Zaragoza were booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center. Both individuals face four counts of 487(a) PC (Grand Theft), four counts of 594(b)(1) PC (Vandalism), and four counts of 182(a)(1) PC (Conspiracy). Bail was set at $80,000 for each suspect, and both have since been released.
