Studio City Man Charged in Rash of Luxury Thefts in Coachella Valley

Booking photo of Earnie Hooks courtesy of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

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By City News Service:

Felony charges were filed Wednesday against a Studio City man accused of breaking into homes at country clubs in Indian Wells and Palm Desert and stealing luxury automobiles, golf clubs and other personal property.

Earnie Steven Hooks, 41, was set to be arraigned in Indio Wednesday afternoon on 44 counts of burglary and eight counts of auto theft.

Riverside County sheriff’s deputies opened an investigation Nov. 21 into a rash of residential robberies where a prowler entered garages of homes at various local country clubs and stole vehicles and property, sheriff’s Sgt. Aaron Eller said.

Some of the stolen luxury vehicles were recovered at a Los Angeles-area chop shop, the sergeant said.

Investigators arrested Hooks on Saturday at a hotel in Rancho Mirage, according to Eller, who said authorities found evidence allegedly linking him to the burglaries and auto thefts.

He was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail at the Riverside County jail in Indio.