Patrol of high crime activity nets 12 arrests

COACHELLA — At 6 a.m. on June 29, a team of law enforcement agencies participated in a Quality-of-Life operation within the City of Coachella to conduct a proactive patrol of high crime activity areas and apprehend subjects with active warrants or who were determined to have committed a criminal offense. This was a zero-tolerance event, Sgt. Tom Anderson said.

All subjects found to be in violation of a criminal offense or wanted on an active warrant were booked at the John Benoit Detention Center. In total, 12 subjects were arrested for various offenses, including providing false information to a peace officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine, possession of stolen property, negligent discharge of a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, two felony warrants, and 19 misdemeanor warrants.

During this operation, deputies served a residential search warrant. They recovered two stolen vehicles and approximately 250 different forms of identification, including driver’s licenses and identification cards from multiple states, United States passport cards, and Mexican consulate cards, all suspected to be stolen.

Persons arrested during the operations were:

  • Monica Lynn Gonzalez, 31 of Indio
  • Joshua Nichols, 35 of Coachella
  • John Joseph Oneill Jr, 64 of Austin, Texas
  • Saul Diaz Cruz, 30 of Indio
  • Rene Garza, 55 of Coachella
  • Salomon Garcia Sauceda, 49 of Indio
  • Cesar Espinoza Gomez, 49 of Coachella
  • Aldo Hiram Lopez Chavez, 44 of Coachella
  • Salvador Cruz, 31 of Coachella
  • Maria Ester Arriaga-Pimentel, 31 of Coachella
  • Arlene Danielle Avila, 41 of Indio
  • Andrew Hernandez, 32 of Coachella

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Thermal Station’s Coachella Community Action Team, with the assistance of the Southern Coachella Valley Community Services District Team and the La Quinta Special Enforcement Team conducted the operation.

Anyone with information related to criminal activity within the City of Coachella is encouraged to contact the Thermal Station’s Coachella Community Action Team at (760) 863–8990. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Valley Crimestoppers at (760) 341-7867.

Image Sources

  • Riverside County Sheriff: RSO