Police Link Suspect To Bizarre Crossbow Robbery In Temecula

A man suspected of using a crossbow to hold up Temecula’s J&S Smoke Shop on March 8 is in custody, police confirmed Friday.

William Paul Bolczak, 42, of Hemet, is in the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, according to Sgt. Lisa McConnell of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. He is being held at North County Correctional Facility in Castaic on unrelated charges, she said.

Charges have not yet been filed in the Temecula case, McConnell confirmed.

Bolczak is suspected in the bizarre March 8 robbery that took place at the shop located at 31141 Temecula Parkway.

According to Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. James Larsen, witnesses reported “the suspect came into the store wearing a motorcycle helmet and carrying a crossbow. The suspect brandished the crossbow at the clerk and demanded money. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken and the suspect fled the store."

A search for the suspect ensued, but he eluded police.

According to a Press-Enterprise news report, the alleged thief was eventually linked to the robbery using data gleaned from a privately-owned automatic license plate scanner mounted near the crime scene.