Two arrested after gunpoint robbery, baseball bat assault in Rancho Mirage & Palm Desert

Two men were arrested on suspicion of a gunpoint robbery and baseball bat assault in Rancho Mirage, as well as a carjacking in Palm Desert late Monday night.

The incident was first reported at around 11:45 p.m. on the 71000 block of Highway 111.

Police were told that the two victims were assaulted by multiple males with baseball bats. The assaulters reportedly fled from the scene in a gray vehicle.

Deputies later learned that the two victims were assaulted and robbed at gunpoint by several suspects. One of the victims sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

Minutes later, deputies responded to a report of a carjacking in the 73000 block of Santa Rosa Way in Palm Desert.

"The victim reported several males armed with firearms stole his vehicle after assaulting him. Based on the suspects’ description and vehicle, it was determined both crimes were committed by the same suspects," reads a news release by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.

The agency revealed that during the carjacking, the victim’s cell phone was left in the vehicle. Deputies were able to track the phone to an address on Angela Court in Indio.

As deputies arrived in the area, the stolen vehicle fled at a high rate of speed and a vehicle pursuit was authorized. The vehicle stopped near the intersection of Colby Way and Monroe Street in Indio, where the driver fled on foot. This suspect was not located, the search remains ongoing.

An investigation led deputies to a residence in the 45000 block of Bradley Way in Indio. Deputies found the suspect vehicle from the robbery, and the two occupants were taken into custody.

During the service of a residential search warrant, an unregistered assault rifle, two handguns containing high-capacity magazines, and property belonging to the victims were located.

The two suspects in custody, a 20-year-old man from Thermal, and a 25-year-old Indio man, were booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio and face several charges.

This is still an active investigation. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office at 951-776-1099. To report a crime anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 800-78-CRIME (800-782-7463), or fill out the Crime Tips Online Form.