The Inland Empire Crime Blog

On Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at about 12:13 p.m., deputies from the Palm Desert Station responded to the Red Roof Inn located at 72215 Varner Road, in the unincorporated area of the County of Riverside known as Thousand Palms reference a man-with-a-gun call.

The investigation revealed a Red Roof Inn guest, later identified as Ralph Eubanks, 65 years of Arkansas, left his room unsecured while he waxed his vehicle in the parking lot. When Eubanks returned, he found an adjacent guest, later identified as James Hannah, 64 years of Palm Springs, inside his room. Eubanks confronted Hannah and Hannah fled on foot.

Eubanks found that his room had been burglarized. He went to look for Hannah and confronted the daughter, Nicole Hannah, brandishing a 9 mm handgun. Shortly after deputies received a call of a man with a gun and arrived within minutes and located all parties involved.

K-9 Officer Van Snapp responded and with the corroboration of Nicole Hannah was able to locate the stolen property under a rock on the west side of the Red Roof Inn. The cash, $476.00 U.S Currency and 50 Mexican Pesos, as well as other personal property was recovered and returned to Eubanks. Eubanks positively identified Hannah as the suspect inside his room.

Eubanks was also placed under Citizen’s Arrest by Nicole Hannah for the brandishing of the firearm. Eubanks provided information as to the weapon’s location inside his room. The 9 mm was seized for evidentiary purposes.

James Hannah was transported to the Indio Jail where he will be booked for violation of 459 P.C. Eubanks was arrested and cite-released for 417 P.C., at the scene.

No one was injured during this incident.

via Riverside County Sheriff’s Department – Press Release.