Police looking for man who threw AR 15 rifle from car

A man was seen with a rifle at a Cathedral City restaurant early Friday morning, and police asked for the public’s help to track him down.

Cathedral City police Lt. Julio Luna said that at 12:15 a.m., an employee at a restaurant in the 68500 block of Ramon Road called police to report seeing a person with at least one firearm. Officers arrived and spotted the suspect fleeing the scene in a Chrysler PT Cruiser, which was later found abandoned about a mile south of the
restaurant near the intersection of Moreno and Cedar roads, Luna said.

Officers began a search of the area, but could not find the suspect. However, they did find “an AR-15-type rifle” near the suspect’s vehicle. Luna said police believe the suspect discarded the weapon as he fled.

The suspect was described as 25 to 30 years of age, 5-foot-7 and weighing 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black pattern shirt with lighter colored pants.

Anyone with information was asked to call the Cathedral City Police Department at (760) 770-0300.