Police Chase Prompts Lockdown Of 2 Thermal Schools

THERMAL, CA — Two men suspected of burglarizing a Thermal nursery Tuesday morning then leading a police chase through the area and prompting two school lockdowns were arrested.

Julio Adrian Diaz, 32 of Thermal, and Ricardo Cervantes Garcia, 35, of Thousand Palms, were taken into custody following the investigation that began shortly before 8 a.m. in the area of Harrison Street and Avenue 61 in the unincorporated area of Thermal.

According to a Riverside County Sheriff's Department report, the two men were burglarizing a nursery at the location and using an older white Nissan pickup truck to haul away the pilfered items.

With the help of a California Highway Patrol aircraft, sheriff's deputies spotted the truck fleeing the area eastbound toward Polk Street.

The CHP aircraft followed the truck to an area northeast of Desert Mirage High School, which was where the two men ditched the truck and fled into the desert on foot, according to the sheriff's department.

A perimeter was set around the area of the abandoned truck — which was found to be stolen out of Indio, according to the sheriff's department.

Diaz and Garcia were eventually found hiding a short distance away and were arrested.

During the incident, Desert Mirage High School and Toro Canyon Middle School were placed on lockdown as a safety precaution, according to the sheriff's department.

Diaz was booked into John Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle and violation of post-release community supervision; Garcia was booked at the same facility on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, committing a felony while out on bail, felon in possession of ammunition, and violation of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation parole, the sheriff's department reported.