A Twentynine Palms couple was arrested Wednesday morning after an altercation at a gas station in Twentynine Palms. About 8:50, a witness called Sheriff’s dispatch about a man and woman arguing near Desert Queen Avenue and 29 Palms Highway. When the deputy arrived, the woman had left the scene. As the deputy interviewed the man, identified as Jose Cruz, 28, the woman, Maria Bassett, 30, returned, and punched Cruz in the face in front of the deputy. Maria Bassett was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery and was booked at the Morongo Basin Jail, with her bail set at $25,000 and another $50,000 for various outstanding warrants. Jose Cruz was arrested on a $125,000 warrant for possession of a controlled substance and booked at the Morongo Basin Jail.
