Two alleged purse-snatchers accused of targeting victims sitting on a restaurant patio in the El Paseo shopping district of Palm Desert were each charged Wednesday with conspiracy to commit a crime.
Grant Ewing, 23, and Shyheed Boyd, 18, both of Desert Hot Springs, are accused in the theft of a purse and a backpack around 1:20 p.m. Monday in an outdoor area at the Daily Grill in the 73000 block of El Paseo.
Prosecutors allege that Boyd told Ewing “Bro, I’m going to handle this, bro,” before making an unsuccessful attempt to grab a purse placed on a chair in the restaurant’s outdoor dining area. Ewing then allegedly made off with a purse and backpack — valued at about $1,800 — that had been placed on restaurant chairs located closest to the sidewalk.
The suspects were chased from the area by the security guard for a nearby business, then made their getaway in a car, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Randy Vasquez. Deputies caught up to them about two miles north of the shopping district, at the intersection of Magnesia Falls Drive and Portola Avenue, he said.
Both men pleaded not guilty to the charge Wednesday afternoon at the Larson Justice Center in Indio and are due back in court Dec. 22 for a felony settlement conference.
While Boyd has no prior felony convictions in Riverside County, court records show that Ewing has priors for identity theft and burglary.
–City News Service