A 36-year-old felon accused in an armed robbery at a marijuana dispensary in Coachella was held to answer robbery Thursday.
In addition to the robbery charge, Carlos Ernesto Vasquez of Cathedral City must stand charges on one felony count each of assault with a gun and burglary, according to case records. He additionally faces sentence-enhancing allegations of using a firearm.
The defendant is due back in court on Dec. 18 for a post-preliminary hearing arraignment at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Deputies responded around 2 a.m. on Jan. 11, 2023 to a report of a burglary at the business in the 86000 block of Avenue 54, according to Sgt. Thomas Anderson of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
“During the investigation, it was determined the suspect forced his way into the business and when confronted by an onsite security guard, brandished a short-barreled shotgun,” Anderson said in a statement. “The security guard was able to escape unharmed and the incident was captured on video surveillance.”
The Coachella Community Action Team assumed the investigation and subsequently identified Vasquez as the suspect in the incident, according to Anderson. He was found in the 79200 block of Highway 111 in La Quinta on Tuesday, when he was taken into custody.
Vasquez is currently being held at the Southwest Detention Center without bail, according to inmate records.
Case records indicate he has previously pleaded guilty to firearm charges and to dissuading a witness.