A dangerous vehicle pursuit in Yucca Valley ended in Desert Hot Springs after the allegedly armed suspect hit a power pole in Desert Hot Springs.
On Saturday (September 23) at around 12:30 p.m., San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputies say they attempted a traffic stop on a Honda Accord for code violations on Twentynine Palms Highway near Pinon Drive in Yucca Valley. They identified the driver of the Honda as Israel Hernandez, Jr., a 35 year-old resident of Desert Hot Springs, and said that he failed to yield, leading deputies in a pursuit westbound on Twentynine Palms Highway.
Deputies say that Hernandez made several dangerous moving violations, including speeding, unsafe turns, and driving into oncoming traffic. Due to the extreme danger of Hernandez’s actions, deputies discontinued the pursuit and contacted neighboring agencies for assistance.
Officers from the Desert Hot Springs Police Department located the Honda after it collided with a power pole in Desert Hot Springs. Authorities say that Hernandez fled into a nearby field, where he was arrested in a joint effort by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputies, Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputies, Desert Hot Springs Police and California Highway Patrol.
San Bernardino County Deputies report that Hernandez was found in possession of a loaded AR-15 rifle and two loaded handguns, including an unserialized home-built pistol, commonly known as a “ghost gun,” along with methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Israel Hernandez, Jr. was arrested for investigation into a number of charges related to vehicle pursuit, weapons possession and narcotics possession, and was booked at West Valley Detention Center on $100,000 bail.
