Last week the California Highway Patrol announced it would hold a DUI checkpoint Saturday, August 16, at some undisclosed location in Joshua Tree. However, the CHP said that due to “logistics,” the DUI checkpoint was held in Morongo Valley instead, its “secondary location.” During the checkpoint’s hours of 8:30 p.m. August 16, to 2 a.m. August 17, 850 vehicles passed through the checkpoint. Officers screened 610 drivers and arrested Luis Gomez, 19, of El Paso, Texas, and Michelle Patino, 30, of Yucca Valley, for driving under the influence of alcohol; David Pickard, 23, of Ontario, was arrested for possession of dangerous drugs.
