A Sheriff’s deputy was injured during the arrest of a Twentynine Palms man Saturday night who was allegedly swinging an axe at vehicles. According to a Sheriff’s report, deputies were called to the intersection of Morongo Road and Sunnyslope Drive in Twentynine Palms about 8:30 p.m. Callers said a man, later identified as Alonso Yepez, 57, was swinging an axe or hatchet at oncoming vehicles. One victim told deputies that not only had Yepez swung the ax at his vehicle, but had also threatened his life. As more deputies arrived at the scene, Yepez began to listen to their orders, but deputies still had to use a taser, batons, and punches to get Yepez to comply with their commands. During the altercation, one deputy injured his right hand. After an investigation, Alonso Yepez was arrested for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats, and resisting arrest, booked into the West Valley Detention Center, with his bail set at $50,000.
