Police find guns, ammo, & body armor in wanted felon’s home

The Indio Police Department Street Crimes Unit arrested a wanted felon today after a short vehicle pursuit.

According to IPD, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Mathew “Santos” Regalado Juarez, 32, during a follow-up investigation. Juarez did not comply and instead led police on a vehicle pursuit that ended when Juarez crashed into a guard rail at Dillon Road and Avenue 48.

IPD wrote that after crashing, Juarez got out of the vehicle and fled on foot but was quickly apprehended of Grapefruit Boulevard shortly before 11 a.m. Officers found a loaded Ruger .45 caliber handgun Juarez allegedly discarded during the pursuit.

A search warrant was issued at Juarez’s residence in Coachella. IPD noted that officers found a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun, an AR-15 lower receiver, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a black plate ballistic tactical vest carrier.

Juarez has been booked into Riverside County jail in Indio for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, felony evading, and felony warrants.