Twentynine Palms City Council candidate arrested after alleged neighbor dispute
A Twentynine Palms City Council candidate was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon over the weekend.
On Friday (September 18) at around 6:35 p.m., the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department received a call for disturbing the peace in the 6600 block of Pine Avenue in Twentynine Palms. In a statement to Z107.7, Carlos Blandon, 39, claimed he made the initial 911 call.
Several hours later at around 12:20 a.m., Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area for a report of assault with a deadly weapon. County records indicate that Blandon was taken into custody on Pine Avenue. The Sheriff’s Department described the alleged assault, saying Blandon “swung a stick at the victims in an attempt to hit them in the face and body.”
Blandon is currently a candidate running to represent District 4 on the Twentynine Palms City Council.
In a statement to Z107.7, Blandon said he was out walking with his “walking stick with bells attached, which is part of my heritage and religion.” He said that he encountered neighbors and began “swinging a protective space barrier with my walking stick.” Blandon provided Z107.7 with door camera footage showing him in a driveway, swinging a stick at a group of men, women and children who crowd in the street near his driveway.
The following video was sent to Z107.7 News by Carlos Blandon. It contains language and actions which some may find offensive, and viewer discretion is advised.
Carlos Blandon was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He was booked into the Morongo Basin Station and has since been released $40,000 on bail.
Dozens of videos posted to social media purport to show Blandon involved in an ongoing dispute with neighbors. However, Blandon is never clearly identified in the videos, and they depict no criminal activity. Several of the videos were posted prior to Blandon’s candidacy for a seat on the Twentynine Palms City Council.
Blandon filed a restraining order against three parties on September 15. On September 16, restraining orders were filed against Carlos Blandon by some of the same parties. Two restraining orders filed against Blandon in July by the same parties were dismissed.
