After being caught during an alleged burglary, a man lied about being a contractor and a police officer before he was forcibly arrested.
On Saturday evening (July 13), at around 7:30 p.m., County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a house in the 7000 block of Palm Ave in Yucca Valley. Witnesses told deputies that a man was “angry” and attempting to break into the house, and that they knew he was not the property owner. The man was identified by deputies as Zachary Hayes, 38.
The witnesses reported that Hayes initially said he was a contractor, before changing his story to say that he was the owner of the property. One of the witnesses told Hayes that they were calling the police, at which point Hayes claimed to be a police officer, even going so far as to provide a false badge number. Hayes then fled the scene.
Deputies determined that Hayes had taken a lockbox from the home, and damaged the breaker in order to use electricity. Deputies say that the witnesses were able to positively identify him from photographs.
At 10:30 p.m. deputies located Hayes at a home in the 56000 block of Navajo Trail in Yucca Valley. Deputies say that Hayes confirmed that he was at the earlier property, and that he had no claim to ownership, but that he resisted arrest and was taken to the ground while being taken into custody.
Zachary Hayes was arrested on suspicion of burglary and booked into the West Valley Detention Center on $30,000 bail. He is facing an additional felony charge of attempting to bribe an executive officer.
