Assault Suspect Caught In Thermal

An Indio man wanted for assault with a deadly weapon was in jail Thursday after authorities found him in brush after more than a four hour search.

34-year old Eddie Zamorez Garcia was caught just before 6:30 p.m.

The scene in Thermal was calm for most of the day, but the search quickly turned chaotic.

Authorities were working on an anonymous tip that Garcia was in the area. But no witnesses were able to confirm that.

Officers searched for hours with no luck, and they eventually called the search off.

That’s when a neighbor called the sheriff’s department back to the scene.

“We saw the suspect hiding in the bushes,” said Arturo Villalobos, a witness.

Villalobos and his wife, Thelma, were familiar with what the suspect looked like, because authories showed them Garcia’s picture.

“[The sheriff’s department was] telling everybody to be careful,” Thelma Barrera said.”[They asked]’have you seen this guy? He’s armed and dangerous, and the people he was with are too.'”

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department spread their guys out.

15 seargents and deputies created a 100 acre perimeter stretching from the northeast corner of Polk Street to Avenida 62.

“[The suspects are] hiding somewhere around,” said Jerson Ceja, a witness. “They have dogs — all different types of dogs and stuff.”

K-9 units and a California Highway Patrol helicopter were used during the search. But everything was called off at around 4:40 p.m. when the search hit a dead end.

However, the search was back on just after 6 p.m.

Villalobos alerted investigators that Garcia was near his property “because those little kids over there came over and advised us that there was someone walking.”

Authorities searched a grassy area behind the small trailer park, and Garcia was spotted running through the bushes.

“It was… right outside of my house,” said Villalobos. “Scared because of my kid — my family.”

Garcia was eventually knocked down by a taser gun.

Authorities then picked him up, sat him down in the shade, hosed him down and gave him water because he looked dehydrated.

“He’s a person. He’s a human being,” said Barrera.

… a human being who will most likely spend the coming days behind bars.

“You wanna play, you gotta pay,” said Barrera. “If you’re gonna do the crime, you’re gonna do the time.”

Garcia was wanted for a deadly assault with a weapon.

Authorities were close to catching him on Friday.

He was the passenger of a car that was pulled over during a routine traffic stop in Coachella.

Officer’s recognized his face from a wanted poster and approached him. But he ran away.

Garcia was booked into jail at the sheriff’s substation in Indio, according to authorities.

The sheriff’s department made another arrest just a few blocks away from where Garcia was taken into custody.

Deputies chased a black Lincoln Navigator spotted leaving Garcia’s location and tracked it down along Middleton Road in Thermal.

Everyone in the car jumped out and ran away.

One man was arrested for intoxication.

Investigators believe the Navigator was Garcia’s getaway car. However, authorities could not confirm if he was the driver, a passenger or involved with Garcia in any way.