Stolen property allegedly traded for drugs & money at PC repair shop

A Cathedral City man has been arrested after police began investigating a computer repair shop where stolen property was allegedly being traded for money, drugs and additional stolen property.

Hamza Yaldiz, 42, was arrested for possession of stolen property, battery on a peace officer and for violating his probation.

Deputies with the Palm Desert Burglary Suppression Unit began investigating the shop, located in the 68000 block of E. Palm Canyon Drive in Cathedral City, on Thursday, July 9.

According to the sheriff’s release, deputies served a search warrant at the computer repair shop the following Thursday and recovered stolen property from burglaries throughout the Coachella Valley. The burglaries occurred in the cities of Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs and Palm Desert.

Deputies said the stolen items brought to the repair shop included Apple products, desktop and laptop computers, cell phones, televisions, notebooks, iPads and other electronics.

Yaldiz was booked into the Riverside County Jail in Indio. Authorities haven’t named the computer repair shop or elaborated on Yaldiz’ connection to the store.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Deputy Patrick with the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station at 760-836-1688. You can also leave an anonymous tip by calling Valley Crime Stoppers at (760) 341-7867.

News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 will have more information as the case moves forward.