Authorities continue to hold a 40-year-old male resident of Santa Monica in custody, following his arrest on suspicion of perpetrating false bomb threats against the Coachella Music & Arts Festival located in Riverside County.
The initial report came in at approximately 10:40 a.m. on Saturday, when Cathedral City police officers responded to the Agua Caliente Casino regarding a suspicious individual. Security personnel at the casino informed law enforcement that a man operating a Tesla had claimed responsibility for an impending bombing at the festival. Investigation of the vehicle’s registration led to the identification of the owner as Davis Darvish, residing in Santa Monica. Festival management and local law enforcement agencies were notified of the threat and initiated a search for Darvish and his vehicle.
At around noon, officers from the Palm Springs Police Department located and apprehended Darvish’s vehicle within city limits. A subsequent search of the vehicle by Cathedral City police yielded no weapons, explosives, or materials associated with bomb-making. Darvish was subsequently booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio, with bail set at $1 million. Detectives from the Cathedral City Police Department are also conducting an investigation into Mr. Darvish’s activities preceding his interaction with Agua Caliente Casino security.
[H/T] ABC7