Thousand Palms man who flashed gun during road rage incident sentenced

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) - A 27-year-old man was convicted and immediately sentenced days after being arrested for waving a pistol at a motorist during a road rage confrontation in Palm Desert, then fleeing from deputies.

Willard Alexander Giron Jr. of Thousand Palms was arrested Tuesday following the incident and a brief chase. He was charged with felony evading, brandishing a firearm not in self-defense, and probation violations.

Giron pleaded guilty during his arraignment on Thursday. The judge imposed a sentence the same day of two years and 8 months.

The road rage incident was reported at 10:50 a.m. on Cook Street and Gerald Ford Drive.

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Deputies were told that Giron approached the victim yelling and holding a handgun. Giron left the area in his vehicle headed northbound on Cook Street toward Interstate 10.

No injuries were reported during the incident.

The victim obtained Giron's license plate number and description of his vehicle, which was provided to Riverside Sheriff Dispatch and entered into the Flock Safety System. Deputies from the Palm Desert Robbery Burglary Suppression Team received a Flock alert indicating the vehicle’s license plate was captured in the area of Indio Boulevard and Madison Street in Indio.

Deputies located the vehicle and attempted to conduct a vehicle stop, but Giron failed to yield, and a pursuit was initiated. With the assistance of the Riverside Sheriff’s K9 Unit, a Pursuit Intervention Technique was used to disable the vehicle, bringing the pursuit to an end in the area of Varner Road and Jefferson Street in Indio.

Giron was taken into custody without incident.

Court records indicated the defendant has prior convictions that resulted in a state prison sentence, but they weren't listed.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call Deputy Himes at 760–836–1600.