THOUSAND PALMS, CA — One of two Texas men accused of holding up a Thousand Palms resident while passing through the Coachella Valley pleaded not guilty Tuesday to second-degree robbery.
Deandre Jaquincy Gilliam, 24, of Houston, was arrested Friday with his alleged cohort, 25-year-old Kelvin Hampton, also of Houston, following a monthlong Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation.
Gilliam was arraigned Tuesday before Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Tucker, who set a felony settlement conference for May 14 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
The defendant was being held in lieu of $40,000 bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
Hampton posted an $80,000 bond over the weekend and was released from custody. He's tentatively scheduled to make an initial court appearance on June 15 at the Indio courthouse.
Sheriff's Sgt. Jack Rutigliano said the alleged holdup occurred shortly before 4 p.m. March 19 in the 72000 block of Varner Road, near Manufacturing Road, just north of Interstate 10.
The victim, a man whose identity was not disclosed, later told patrol deputies he was confronted by two males who struck him and grabbed his money and other personal belongings, then fled.
The man did not require hospitalization.
The investigation was turned over to the Palm Desert station's Robbery & Burglary Suppression Team, whose personnel ultimately confirmed the identities of the two alleged robbers — Gilliam and Hampton.
They were tracked to a property in Gardena, where they were taken into custody without incident last week.
Neither man has documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Palm Desert, CA Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.