Road Rage Incident In Palm Desert Leads To Arrest

PALM DESERT, CA — A 27-year-old man with a criminal record suspected of brandishing a gun during a road rage incident in Palm Desert and leading authorities on a chase was arrested Tuesday.

Officers responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon at 10:50 a.m. Tuesday at Cook Street and Gerald Ford Drive, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.

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A victim, whose name was not revealed, told authorities that a man approached his vehicle yelling and holding a handgun, authorities said.

The suspect fled the area headed northbound on Cook Street toward Interstate 10 but not before the victim obtained the suspect's license plate number and vehicle's description.

Investigators tracked down the suspect's vehicle using the Flock Safety System in the area of Indio Boulevard and Madison Street in Indio.

Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop but the suspect failed to yield and a pursuit ensued.

The pursuit ended after deputies, with assistance from the department's K9 Unit, deployed a pursuit intervention technique to disable the vehicle in the area of Varner Road and Jefferson Street, authorities said.

Willard Alexander Giron Jr. of Thousand Palms was taken into custody without further incident. He was booked into Benoit Detention Center in Indio on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a firearm, reckless evading of a peace officer and violation of post-release community supervision

Bail information was not immediately available.

No injuries were reported.

Anyone with information related to the case was asked to call 760-836-1600.