Banning, Beaumont Men Arrested After Multiple Guns Stolen In Home Burglary

PALM DESERT, CA — Two men from Banning and Beaumont were arrested last week in connection with a Palm Desert burglary in which multiple firearms were stolen just days before the Christmas holiday, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

The burglary was reported about 2:10 p.m. on Dec. 22, 2025, in the 74000 block of Joni Drive in Palm Desert, where a victim told deputies several items had been taken from the home, including firearms, sheriff’s officials said.

The Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station Robbery and Burglary Suppression Team took over the investigation and identified the suspects as Johnnie Schoonover, 32, of Banning, and Joshua Whitis, 32, of Beaumont.

At about 2 p.m. on Jan. 20, investigators, assisted by the Palm Desert Business District Team, the Rancho Mirage Problem Oriented Policing Team and the Riverside Sheriff’s Office K-9 Team, located both suspects in the 11000 block of Legends Lane in Beaumont, authorities said.

Deputies served search warrants at that location and at a second location in the 1100 block of East Ramsey Street in Banning. During the searches, investigators recovered several stolen items, including the firearms reported taken in the Palm Desert burglary, as well as an additional unserialized firearm, according to the sheriff’s department.

Schoonover and Whitis were arrested and booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy, grand theft of firearms and possession of an unserialized firearm. Whitis was also found to have several active felony warrants related to being a felon in possession of ammunition and narcotics offenses, authorities said.

The investigation is ongoing, and no additional details were released. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Deputy Pouchoulen at the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station at 760-836-1600. Media inquiries should be directed to the sheriff’s department’s Media Information Bureau.