Crime & Safety
Man Accused In Diamond, Electronics Robbery Spree Nabbed In Vegas
Among other things, the man is accused of stealing three diamond bracelets from a JCPenney store in Hemet.
INDIO, CA — A man accused in three Riverside County robberies within a single afternoon last summer, culminating in a police pursuit stretching from Cathedral City to Palm Springs, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to felony grand theft charges.
Darquise Smith, 32, is accused of stealing two diamond rings from a JCPenney store at the Westfield Palm Desert mall, three diamond bracelets from a JCPenney store in Hemet, and electronics from a Cathedral City Target store on the afternoon of Aug. 9.
The spree began around 2 p.m. at the JCPenney store at 2200 W. Florida Ave in Hemet, where Smith allegedly reached into a cabinet and snatched three bracelets valued at $3,000 each.
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He later inquired about several pieces of jewelry at the JCPenney store in the Westfield Palm Desert mall, and reached into the display case and grabbed the rings when an employee wasn't looking, according to an arrest warrant declaration, which states that the Hemet and Palm Desert thefts were captured on store surveillance footage.
A JCPenney representative valued the total loss at $29,0000, according to court documents.
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Later that afternoon, Smith allegedly stole electronics from the Target store at 67750 E. Palm Canyon Drive, then assaulted a store security guard who tried to detain him, according to Cathedral City police Sgt. Nate Hanley.
As Cathedral City officers arrived at the scene, Smith was speeding away from the scene, the sergeant said. Officers gave chase, but terminated the pursuit for safety reasons as Smith entered Palm Springs, Hanley said.
Cathedral City police relayed the suspect information to Palm Springs police, who later found Smith and his car in the 2400 block of East Palm Canyon Drive.
He was initially charged with robbery, evading arrest and misdemeanor battery solely for the Cathedral City theft, but skipped a pair of November court hearings for grand theft charges filed in the Palm Desert and Hemet cases.
He was arrested in Las Vegas, according to county jail records and booked Sunday into a Riverside County jail in lieu of $300,000 bail. He's set to return to court Jan. 28 for a felony settlement conference.
— By City News Service / Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone
