A Twentynine Palms man was arrested yesterday (March 15) after reportedly holding a knife to a victim’s throat and vandalizing a Sheriff’s patrol car. According to the Sheriff’s Department, on Tuesday (March 15) around 12:30 a.m., deputies responded to an undisclosed location in Twentynine Palms for a report of a robbery. According to a Sheriff’s press release, the victim had flagged down a citizen to call 9-1-1 and stated to deputies that he was at a residence located in the 6700 block of Estrella Avenue when a subject at that location brandished a knife to the victim’s throat and demanded the victim’s cell phone. The victim reportedly gave the suspect his phone and was able to safely leave the area where he contacted law enforcement.
Deputies Stumbo and Gonzalez located the residence and through investigation, found that the suspect, Dennis Morales, 48 of Twentynine Palms, was on active Central Detention Center parole. Stumbo and Gonzalez contacted Morales, who was allegedly under the influence of a controlled substance. During the investigation, deputies reported that they located the victim’s cell phone and the weapon used during the robbery.
Morales was placed in the back of a Sheriff’s patrol vehicle where deputies say he became uncooperative and kicked out the patrol vehicle’s rear window. Dennis Morales was ultimately arrested for investigation of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and felony vandalism and transported to the Central Detention Center where he is being held without bail for a parole violation.
