Thousand Palms man pleads guilty to robbery charge linked to purse thefts

A Thousand Palms man accused of stealing a purse in La Quinta and other similar thefts remains behind bars today after pleading guilty to a felony robbery charge.

Eddie Ramirez, 40, was arrested in September 2022 on suspicion of robbery and multiple outstanding warrants, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

The defendant entered the guilty plea and admitted two bail-and parole-related enhancements during a felony settlement conference Thursday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to case records.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 16.   

Deputies from the sheriff's Thermal station responded to a robbery at a business in the 79200 block of Highway 111 at about 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 21, 2022, according to a department statement. Ramirez was accused of snatching a purse from a victim.

After being identified as a suspect, Ramirez was arrested in the 82100 block of Indio Boulevard in Indio, where sheriff's officials said they found the stolen property in his possession.

Inmate records indicate he was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio, where he was being held on $50,000 bail.   

Multiple purse thefts in the cities of La Quinta, Palm Desert and the area of Bermuda Dunes were also linked to Ramirez, according to the department.