Man Held For Shooting In Desert Hot Springs

A Desert Hot Springs man is being held today on suspicion of attempted murder for a shooting inside an apartment that left the mother of his child wounded, police said.

Officers were sent to 13355 Verbena Drive at about 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday in response to a report of a woman screaming, Sgt. Dan Bressler said. They found a woman who had been shot lying on the floor alongside a young child, and arrested Michael Hartwell, 25, who was trying to flee, Bressler said.

The woman was hospitalized in stable condition, he said, and Hartwell was taken to jail, where bail initially was set at $1 million. Child Protective Services was notified about the youngster because of what the child heard and saw, Bressler said.

Police said they learned that the victim and Hartwell were arguing and that he beat her before getting a gun and shooting her in the upper body.

Bressler said Hartwell is likely to face domestic violence charges because he and the victim have at least one child between them.