A dirtbike rider got into an argument with a camper at Joshua Tree’s dry lake bed, leading to an arrest for attempted murder.
On Saturday (April 19) at around 4:30 p.m., the Sheriff’s Department says that Gerald Raymond, 67, was camping in the Sunfair Dry Lake Bed area of Joshua Tree, when he got into an argument with the victim who was riding a dirt bike near Raymond’s camp site. The Sheriff’s Department says that Raymond was angry at the victim for riding the dirt bike near the campground, and that Raymond stabbed the victim with a knife.
The victim, bleeding from the abdomen, returned to his own campsite, where his wife called 911. The victim was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center for treatment.
Deputies say that Raymond was also injured in the fight, and that the victim was acting in self-defense. Raymond drove himself to Hi-Desert Medical Center for treatment, where he was contacted by deputies at around 7:00 p.m. and taken into custody. The Sheriff’s Department says that the victim is not expected to face any charges.
Gerald Raymond was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and is being held at the West Valley Detention Center on $1,000,000 bail.
