Suspect Arrested, Stolen Package Recovered After Desert Hot Springs Police Investigation
DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CA — A package theft investigation conducted by the Desert Hot Springs Police Department on Thursday, December 13th, 2025, resulted in the apprehension of a male suspect and the recovery of a stolen item.
Police officers were initially dispatched to a local residence following a report of a package theft. The individual who reported the incident indicated that an unidentified male had taken a package shortly after its delivery. The reporting party suggested the individual might be responsible for a similar theft that occurred the previous week.
Officers used residential surveillance video footage to obtain a description of the suspect and the vehicle involved. The ensuing investigation led officers to identify a potential suspect vehicle, prompting a surveillance operation to confirm its role in the incident.
The Desert Hot Springs PD’s Drone Unit, operating under the call sign Desert Air 1, was deployed to assist ground officers by tracking the suspect’s movement across the city. The suspect was subsequently observed arriving at a private residence.
Following this observation, law enforcement obtained a search warrant. With aerial support provided by California Highway Patrol (CHP) Air Operations, officers conducted a traffic stop where the suspect was successfully detained. The individual later admitted to the theft. The stolen package was located and recovered during the execution of the search warrant and subsequently returned to the owner.
The suspect was arrested and booked for multiple alleged crimes stemming from the incident, however their identity has not been made public at this time.
