RSO: Check thief, forger arrested in La Quinta, found trying to smuggle meth into jail

A man accused of stealing and forging checks in La Quinta was arrested Thursday, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

At around 5:40 p.m. Thursday, deputies assigned to the La Quinta Special Enforcement Team responded to a reported fraud in progress on the 78400 block of Highway 111 in La Quinta. Upon arrival, they found the suspect, 43-year-old La Quinta resident David Guzman, and took him into custody without incident.

Deputies found that Guzman attempted to cash an altered check, one of several that he allegedly stole a Palm Desert residence, according to RSO.

Guzman was transported to Smith Correctional Facility in Banning where, during the booking process, he was found to have concealed 18 grams of methamphetamine on his person.

According to county jail records, he was charged with four felonies: receiving known stolen property, check fraud, forgery - possession of fake identification, and smuggling a controlled substance into jail.

"The La Quinta Special Enforcement Team is asking anyone with additional information to contact Deputy Huyler at the Thermal Sheriff’s Station by calling (760)-863-8990," read RSO's news release on the arrest.

At the time of this publication, he was being held on $10,000 bail.