Man admits to perpetrating armed robberies in MoVal, Cabazon

A 22-year-old man who perpetrated multiple holdups in Moreno Valley and Cabazon admitted five counts of armed robbery and other charges prior to the start of his preliminary hearing.

Wesley Denzale Hall of Moreno Valley pleaded guilty Tuesday to the robbery counts, as well as two counts of attempted robbery, under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. No charges were dismissed under the deal.

The admissions came at the outset of a preliminary hearing before Superior Court Judge Thomas Kelly, who accepted the terms and scheduled a sentencing hearing for Nov. 8 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. A prospective sentence was not disclosed.

Hall remains held in lieu of $210,000 bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

According to sheriff's investigators and court records, between April and August 2023, the defendant held up gas stations and convenience stores, along with random individuals, in Cabazon and Moreno Valley.

The last robbery occurred on the morning of Aug. 4 in the 24000 block of JFK Drive in Moreno Valley.

In each instance, Hall took an undisclosed amount of cash from the victims.   

Detectives spent the ensuing weeks reviewing evidence and ultimately identified the defendant as the robber. Additional clues were obtained linking him to other holdups, investigators said.

Hall was taken into custody without incident in the area of Filaree Avenue and Perris Boulevard in Moreno Valley on Aug. 21, 2023.   

He had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.