Alleged Coachella Valley serial burglar pleads not guilty
A man accused in a string of Coachella Valley burglaries pleaded not guilty to eight felony counts today, adding to a long list of charges he faces in connection with an alleged spree of residential and commercial break-ins that occurred between May and July.
Joseph Foster Ramey, 26, was initially accused in a series of residential break-ins in Palm Springs, Palm Desert and Thousand Palms, as well as eight storage unit burglaries at Storquest Self Storage in Palm Springs.
He’s since been charged in several other home burglaries, mostly in Palm Springs, during which he’s accused of taking jewelry, credit cards, checkbooks and other items, including a handgun recovered by Palm Springs police during the arrest of Ramey’s uncle, who allegedly tossed the weapon onto a roof following an unrelated assault case, according to an arrest warrant declaration.
One of the eight burglary counts on which he was arraigned this morning stems from a July 13 break-in at the Palm Springs Mobile Home Park, where he allegedly broke into a residence around 3:30 a.m., barricaded the 86-year-old resident inside her bedroom by blocking the door with furniture and made off with several items.
Ramey’s fingerprints were discovered inside the mobile home, according to an arrest warrant declaration.
Many of his other alleged burglaries also targeted elderly victims, often when they were inside their homes and asleep, court documents state.
Ramey, who’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail, was arrested July 17 in Thousand Palms, the same day he’s alleged to have broken into a nearby home on Shady Palms Circle.
Ramey faces a total of 21 burglary counts, plus felony counts of identity theft, vehicle theft and receiving stolen property.
He’s next due back in court Sept. 27 for a felony settlement conference.
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