Eight Arrested in Riverside Motel Narcotics and Firearms Enforcement Operation
RIVERSIDE, CA – An enforcement operation targeting drug activity at a local motel led to the arrest of eight individuals on narcotics and weapons charges, the Riverside Police Department announced.
On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at approximately 7:07 p.m., members of the department’s Problem-Oriented Policing (POP) Team conducted a targeted operation at the Riverside Inn & Suites, located at 10705 Magnolia Avenue, following reports of drug activity and related community concerns.
During surveillance, officers observed hand-to-hand transactions involving the sale of fentanyl. The POP Team identified the primary suspect involved in the sales, who was subsequently taken into custody and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center.
As the operation progressed, officers contacted 30-year-old Shawn Harper as he exited a motel room. Investigators determined Harper had an active federal probation violation warrant and was in possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Despite being a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms, officers discovered a firearm inside his room.
Photo: Riverside PD
Upon contacting additional individuals inside the room, 39-year-old Omar Garcia admitted to possessing a firearm. Garcia is also a convicted felon prohibited from owning firearms.
Officers obtained and executed a search warrant for the room, recovering a loaded 9mm Sig Sauer P6 handgun. Both Harper and Garcia were arrested on multiple charges and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center with bail set at $20,000 each.
In total, the operation resulted in eight arrests for drug-related offenses and outstanding warrants.
Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Officer J. Alava at 951-826-5679 or via email at JAlava@RiversideCA.go
