Man accused of threatening to bomb Coachella festival makes first court appearance
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A man who allegedly told security guards he would be “responsible for a bombing” at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival made his first court appearance Wednesday in Indio.
Davis Darvish, 40, of Santa Monica, was arrested after allegedly threatening to bomb the Coachella music festival. He was charged with making a false bomb report, which he pleaded not guilty to during his arraignment Wednesday at the Larson Justice Center.
He remains in custody on $1 million bail, according to booking records.
According to court records, police requested Davis' bail be increased from $10,000 to $1 million due to his threats of mass violence at the festival, his unwillingness to cooperate with law enforcement, and his recent international travel which would pose him as a flight risk.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Dean Benjamini scheduled a felony settlement conference for April 25.
Darvish's public defender argued during the arraignment that his client's actions did not pose a credible threat to the community because he had nothing in his possession that would have constituted a threat, and instead the entire episode approximated a "crank call."
The judge was unsympathetic to the argument and relied on a CCPD bail- setting declaration indicating that Darvish did represent a threat, ordering the defendant held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
Darvish's attorney, David Greenberg, sent a statement to News Channel 3:
"My client is a 40 year old educated man with no record whatsoever. Unfortunately, he has recently struggled with some personal challenges. I am confident that once all of the evidence is examined and brought to light, it will be clear that my client never intended any harm to befall anyone."
Darvish was arrested Saturday after security guards at the Agua Caliente Casino in Cathedral City said they caught wind of him saying he intended to bomb the nearby festival.
Security quickly alerted police.
Officers tracked down Darvish's Tesla using Flock ALPR - a system of surveillance cameras capable of reading and tracking license plates in real time. Investigators accessed DMV records to confirm the vehicle's owner, then began searching for the Tesla's movements throughout the Coachella Valley within minutes.
Check Out: How Police Tracked Down a Man Accused of Threatening to Bomb Coachella in Palm Springs
The car was found in Palm Springs and there was no immediate threat to festivalgoers or the public, according to police. When found, Darvish initially drove away from police, and attempted to walk away from his vehicle, but was taken into custody without resistance.
The vehicle search turned up with no explosives, weapons, or materials related to bomb-making, according to police.
The car was found in Palm Springs, police said. Darvish initially drove away from police, and attempted to walk away from his vehicle, but was ultimately taken into custody without resistance. A search of the vehicle turned up no explosives, weapons, or materials related to bomb-making, according to police.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates on this case.
