A man who allegedly barricaded himself inside a Thermal home when sheriff’s deputies arrived to serve arrest and search warrants pleaded not guilty Friday afternoon to multiple felony and misdemeanor charges Friday afternoon.
Jose Eduardo Mascareno, 31, was arrested on Tuesday, a week after deputies received a complaint involving alleged criminal threats and a felon in possession of a firearm at a home in the 88700 block of Avenue 70 in Thermal.
When deputies arrived at the residence on Tuesday with a search warrant, Mascareno — also wanted on two outstanding felony arrest warrants — holed up inside, the sergeant said.
Deputies initially deployed a remote-controlled robot and a K-9 unit to search the home before making entry, he said. They found Mascareno hiding behind a dresser in one of the bedrooms, Gonzalez said.
Mascareno was charged with criminal threats, being a felon in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of ammunition, all felonies, along with misdemeanor resisting arrest and domestic battery.
He also was charged with the offenses from his pre-existing arrest warrant — felony attempted burglary and tampering with a vehicle, both alleged to have occurred on July 17, 2018.
He remains held at the Indio jail on $150,000 bail, and is due back in court Sept. 17 for a bail hearing.