A probationer who allegedly pepper-sprayed several people, including two children, and stole a cell phone during a brawl that broke out at Palm Springs’ weekly VillageFest was charged Tuesday with robbery, inflicting injury on a child and possession of tear gas.
Dylon Cooke, 33, of Palm Springs, is accused of pepper-spraying an unidentified victim about 10 p.m. last Thursday in the 100 block of South Palm Canyon Drive.
Officers went to the area in response to “a large fight and possible assault with a deadly weapon,” during which Cooke allegedly pepper-sprayed the victim, affecting “several bystanders” in the process, police said. Those affected by the pepper spray, including a 9-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy, were treated on scene by Palm Springs fire personnel.
The uproar was initially reported as a stabbing, but police said those reports turned out to be false.
Cooke was arrested near the scene and allegedly gave officers a false name to hide that he was on Post Release Community Supervision, stemming from an unspecified prior offense.
Cooke, who’s being held in lieu of $100,000 bail, pleaded not guilty to all counts Tuesday afternoon and is due back in court Aug. 20 for a felony settlement conference.