A convicted felon was arrested Tuesday night, after he was found with weapons and law enforcement equipment. About 9 p.m., deputies received a tip that John Channell, 37, of Twentynine Palms, was in a room at America’s Best Motel, in the 71800 block of 29 Palms Highway in Twentynine Palms. When deputies went to the room, they found two pistols—one loaded and one reported stolen, an expandable baton, a police radio, two pairs of handcuffs, two fake law enforcement badges (a California Highway Patrol collectable badge, and a fugitive recovery agent badge), a counterfeit $100 bill, and stolen credit cards and identification. Deputies then searched Channell’s home in the 72400 block of Sunnyvale, where they found law enforcement uniforms, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department patches, a homemade shotgun, ammunition, and evidence of counterfeiting and identity theft. John Channell was arrested for investigation of being a felon in possession of a firearm and for violating the terms of his parole, booked at the Morongo Basin Jail, and is being held without bail.
