Man arrested in Riverside for robbing elderly person while pretending to have a gun

A man was arrested for allegedly forcing an elderly man in Riverside to go to the bank and withdraw cash for him in early July while pretending to carry a gun.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of July 2, when 33-year-old Tyreez Daishon Marzette allegedly followed the victim as he left White Park, where he was visiting friends, according to Riverside police.

A statement from the RPD said Marzette then confronted the man, took the money from him and then “forced him to go to a nearby bank to withdraw more money from his account.”

According to police, Marzette acted as if he was carrying a gun under his clothes the whole time.

“The suspect waited outside while the victim went into the bank and asked for help instead,” police said. “Before our officers arrived, the suspect fled the scene on foot.”

The man was not injured during the ordeal.

Detectives found the suspect and described him as “a homeless man who frequently hangs out in the city center.”

He was found Thursday afternoon when a police volunteer spotted him near Chestnut Street. He was taken into custody without incident and arrested on suspicion of kidnapping for the purpose of robbery, elder abuse and resisting arrest, said spokesman Ryan Railsback.