One woman pleads, another skips hearing in Palm Desert hotel employee beating
Two women who allegedly held a Palm Desert hotel employee down while taking turns punching and kicking her in the head were slated to be arraigned Wednesday on assault charges, but only one of the defendants showed up.
Diane Portillo, 26, of Fontana pleaded not guilty to assaulting a female employee during the June 27 altercation at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, but her co-defendant, Danei Deborah Davis, 24, whose hometown is unknown, did not appear in court this morning, leading a judge to issue a $65,000 bench warrant for her arrest.
The women, along with co-defendants Dalon Emil Decoud Jr., 24, of Hawthorne, and Gregory Lamar Pate Jr., 24, of Los Angeles, allegedly got into an argument with other guests at the hotel, which escalated into a fight involving the female employee.
Pate allegedly “incited” Portillo and Davis to fight the employee, according to a declaration in support of an arrest warrant. The women allegedly punched and kicked the victim in the head while taking turns holding her down, causing “major swelling,” the declaration states.
Decoud is accused of punching a man, causing a broken orbital bone. It was unclear whether he was also an employee or another hotel guest. Hewas arrested while allegedly trying to flee the scene on foot. Davis, Portillo and Pate were also taken into custody at the scene, but all four were later released on bail.
Decoud pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of assault, making criminal threats, and resisting arrest. He and Portillo are set to return to court August 31.
Pate is not in custody and does not yet have a scheduled arraignment date.
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