Former Palm Springs Fire Chief accused of battering wife

A former Palm Springs fire chief accused of battering his wife was free on bail today.

Blake Gilbert Goetz, 54, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of misdemeanor battery and booked at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. He posted a $2,500 bond today. He was tentatively scheduled to be arraigned June 19 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to jail records, although no charges had yet been filed.

Palm Springs police Sgt. Mike Kovaleff said Goetz’s wife reported that the former chief had “battered” her around 8:40 p.m. Monday at a residence in the 200 block of North Luring Drive. Police responded to the home but the 49-year-old woman, whose name was not released, told police Goetz had left.

Officers did not see any signs of injury on the woman, Kovaleff said. Goetz voluntarily came to the police department for an interview with detectives around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and was subsequently arrested, Kovaleff said.
Goetz was with the Palm Springs Fire Department for more than 30 years
and served as fire chief from 2004 to 2010. He developed the city’s Community
Emergency Response Team program.