Car slams into Coachella home after Indio robbery pursuit
Some Coachella residents had an unexpected and unwelcome early morning wake-up call when a car slammed into their home early Monday morning.
It happened shortly after 4:00 a.m. at a home near Avenue 50 and Kenmore Street, residents say a police pursuit that ended in their home.
Indio Police said it all started with a robbery at an AM-PM on Highway 111 in Indio. Officers said the call came in at around 3:30 a.m. of three juveniles stealing beer from the store.
A clerk attempted to stop them but was assaulted while doing so. Police said one of the juveniles fired a gunshot at the clerk. The clerk was not hit.
The three juveniles fled in a Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV which was then spotted by an officer. The driver failed to yield resulting in a chase that ended at the home.
The force of the wreck pushed a boulder from the front yard near the home. It ended up in a front bathroom.
The home’s owner, Tim Venable, said it was a very loud crash. “I literally thought it was a major earthquake. The shaking of the building was like an earthquake,” said Venable.
A gray pickup truck was parked in the home’s driveway and was also badly damaged.
Children were in the home, but no injuries were reported.
A tow truck was called in and removed the vehicle from the home within an hour’s time.
Indio Police said the three juveniles ran out of the car after crashing. Our KESQ News Channel 3 / CBS Local 2 News crew saw two juveniles being taken away in handcuffs, who police said were the driver and a passenger. Officers said a loaded handgun was found in the car.
One juvenile is still at large and is only described as a Hispanic male. The two juveniles captured were booked in juvenile hall on a slew of felony warrants including assault with a deadly weapon and weapons charges.
The identities of all three juveniles are being withheld.
