Palm Springs Police arrest three suspects for drugs and guns
Three people are in custody, after Palm Springs were investigating a possible vacation rental fraud at a home. Officers found the suspects in a car outside that residence, contacted them and found several weapons.
It happened on Tuesday around 3:45 PM, Palm Springs Police Department Detectives learned of a possible residential rental fraud in progress in the 700 block of West Via Vadera.
Prior to learning of the incident, Detectives had been investigating around five prior incidents over the past several months involving vacation rental homes being rented with stolen credit cards by at least one female suspect.
Detectives arrived at the residence on West Via Vadera within a few minutes of being notified and observed an occupied car parked outside of the residence. The detectives contacted the driver, 33-year-old Gabriela Munique Vidal of Cathedral City, the front passenger 24-year-old Evania Racquel Salgado of Hemet, and the rear passenger 39-year-old David Anthony Hurtado Jr. of Mecca.
Detectives learned that Vidal was on active probation, Salgado was on active Post-Release Community Supervision, and that Hurtado was on active parole for an incident involving an assault with a firearm on a peace officer that resulted in a 2015 conviction. All three suspects were detained without incident.
A search of the vehicle was conducted, detectives found a stolen and loaded .40 caliber handgun, an unregistered AR-15 .223 caliber semi-automatic assault rifle, a loaded high capacity AR-15 rifle magazine, multiple additional rounds of ammunition, nearly three quarter of a pound of suspected methamphetamine, 11 grams of suspected heroin, and multiple items of identity theft.
“You have people here who have a complete disregard for the law they should not be in possession and can not posses weapons and they are now in possession of some of the most dangerous weapons on the market,” said Sgt. William Hutchinson with the Palm Springs Police Department.
All three suspects were arrested without further incident and were transported to the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
Authorities are continuing the investigation into the identity theft and fraud incidents and have identified over a dozen potential victims in addition to serving search warrants related to the arrests.
The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office has since reviewed the case and has alleged several violations against each of the suspects.
Prosecutors charged Vidal Thursday with eighteen felony counts, including nine counts of identity theft, burglary, attempted burglary, possession of assault weapon and possession of controlled substances.
Hurtado was charged with possession of controlled substances for sale and allegations of owning firearms.
Salgado was charged with attempted burglary, identity theft, firearm possession, vandalism and giving a false ID to a police officer.
All three — who were each either on parole or probation at the time of their arrests — pleaded not guilty to all charges Thursday afternoon and are due back in court Sept. 12 for a felony settlement conference.
Hurtado plead not guilty in a shooting that allegedly targeted three law enforcement officers in Indio back in 2012.
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