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PSPD investigates armed robbery at Palm Springs hotel

Published August 4, 2017 11:02 PM

The Palm Springs Police Department is searching for an armed robber who targeted a hotel in south Palm Springs early Friday morning.

Rylee Emrick and Gannon Pindt made the trip east from Ontario to stay a night at the Palm Mountain Resort & Spa in Palm Springs.

“This is our second year now, but we are going to do it every year before summer ends,” Emrick said. “Just a little getaway before school starts.”

But both said they were surprised to learn about what happened hours before checking out Friday morning.

Officers said the armed robbery happened just before 4:30 a.m. at the Palm Mountain Resort, located at 155 S. Belardo Road. The person that reported the armed robbery said the suspect entered the hotel and robbed the front desk clerk at gunpoint.

“Once discovering it, it obviously is very shocking because you don’t expect anything to happen while you’re at the place, or you don’t expect anything to happen to you,” Emrick said.

General Manager Tim Ellis said he was shocked as well to hear about the robbery, receiving nearly three dozen calls from other local businesses and resorts.

Take a look at all of the recent crimes making headlines around the Coachella Valley

“I was appalled and shocked,” Ellis said. “And of course, my first call was to make sure the employee was okay. Unfortunately, the perp had ripped out our phone cords so getting communication, I jumped straight in the car and came straight to work.”

After grabbing the cash and phone, both Ellis and police officers said the suspect then ran out the back door of the hotel in an unknown direction.

But both Emrick and Pindt said the robbery didn’t hinder their visit.

“The hotel was great, and the people were great,” Emrick said. “So I mean, coming back next year, we wouldn’t question it.”

While Ellis and others continue working to find whoever is responsible.

The suspect is described as white man between the ages of 30 to 40. He had blonde hair and blue eyes and was about 5’11” tall. The suspect had tattoos on both arms, according to the witness report. Witnesses also said the man was wearing a white trench coat with blue Converse type shoes and was concealing his face by wearing a gray bandana over his mouth.