PSPD arrests man for threatening county health security guard with fake gun

The Palm Springs Police Department arrested a man accused of pulling a replica handgun on a security guard at the Riverside County Health Department building in Palm Springs Tuesday morning, prompting a closure of the facility.

Authorities said 38-year-old Lizandro Colindres of Indio was arrested a short time later and was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

The incident happened at about 9:45 a.m. A supervisor at the Palm Springs county health building, located at 1515 N. Sunrise Way, said the building reopened at 11:30 a.m.

Officers with the Palm Springs Police Department said Colindres is accused of threatening the security guard with the replica handgun before leaving the facility.

Antwone Lovest, the center’s security guard describes the terrifying situation.

“Just standing outside doing a patrol and a young man came out upset and made a bomb threat. And I followed him to his car to get his license plate number and he made another bomb threat and then pulled his gun on me. And I just stood there then he got in his car and left,” Lovest said.

A detective located his vehicle on eastbound Ramon Road near Gene Autry Trail soon after.

Colindres was eventually arrested after officers pulled him over in the 68400 block of Ramon Road in Cathedral City, officers said in a news release. They found a replica handgun in the vehicle and the Colindres was identified as the man who made the threats against the security guard.

Officers said there was also a female and two infants in the Colindres’ vehicle. The female wasn’t involved and she was released at the scene. Nobody was injured during the incident.

Colindres is being charged with a felony for making criminal threats and brandishing a replica firearm, officers said in the release.