Bystanders say a Twentynine Palms man is alleged to have attempted to drive over one of the people who intervened to stop him from assaulting a transient in a parking lot.
On Thursday (May 30) at approximately 10:20 p.m., a witness and their daughter-in-law living near the Rite Aid in Twentynine Palms say they witnessed a man kicking a transient in the store’s parking lot. The witness and her daughter-in-law called 911 and then attempted to intervene in the altercation.
The witness said that the alleged attacker, identified as Kevin Lawson, a 34 year-old resident of Twentynine Palms, got into a pick-up truck and sped away, then returned to the parking lot and attempted to drive into the daughter-in-law.
Deputies arrived to the parking lot, spoke with the witness, and left to search the area for Lawson. While they were away, deputies say Lawson returned to the parking lot, and confronted the witnesses. In an attempt to prevent Lawson from fleeing a second time, the witness got into the bed of Lawson’s pick-up truck.
While in the truck, the witness called 911 again, and reported their location, saying they then jumped out of the truck, and filmed Lawson driving away.
Deputies recognized Lawson from the video footage, and contacted him at his home in the 6000 block of Desert Knoll Ave.
Kevin Lawson was arrested for investigation into assault with a deadly weapon and driving with a suspended license, and is being held on $65000 bail.
