The Inland Empire Crime Blog

On Friday, February 5th, 2010, about 9:45 a.m., deputies assigned to the Southern Coachella Valley Community Service District (S.C.V.C.S.D) responded to a report of a male brandishing a shotgun in the 64-000 block of Fillmore Street in the unincorporated area of Thermal. They contacted two adult males and an adult female at the residence during the investigation. The suspect with the gun was not located.

While at the location, deputies discovered a partially stripped gold Honda Civic parked next to a gray Honda Civic. Deputies checked both vehicles’ license plate numbers and learned the vehicles were reported as stolen.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter checked the area and located 8 additional vehicles near the residence. The vehicles were partially disassembled and all recently stolen from nearby Coachella Valley cities.

The District deputies and Indio Sheriff’s investigators began an extensive investigation. They were assisted by an officer from the Riverside Auto Theft Interdiction Detail (RAID) and a total of 11 stolen vehicles were recovered from the location. All of the vehicles were stolen from the Coachella Valley between November 2009 and February, 2010.

The two males were arrested for operating a chop shop, altering vehicle identification numbers and possession of stolen property. The investigation into their involvement in this incident is continuing. The adult female, Katherine Walker, 24 years old of Thermal, had three outstanding warrants for her arrest. She was arrested and booked at the Riverside County Jail in Indio.

The Southern Coachella Valley Community Services District funds deputies to increase the level of proactive enforcement in the southern end of the Coachella Valley. The District deputies would like to take this opportunity to provide the following auto theft prevention tips.

* Don’t leave your car running unattended.

* Don’t leave keys in the car or ignition.

* Roll up your windows and lock the car.

* Don’t leave valuables in plain view.

* Park in high-traffic and well-lighted areas when possible.

* Don’t leave personal identification or other important documents in your vehicle.

* If your vehicle is stolen, report it to the police immediately.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact District deputies, or investigators from the Indio Station at 760-863-8990 or by calling the Valley Crime Stoppers program at 760-341-7867 (STOP).

via Riverside County Sheriff’s Department – Press Release.