On bail for similar charges, DHS felon arrested again after Palm Desert carjacking
PALM DESERT, Calif., — Out of jail on bail related to two other, still-active and ongoing possession of stolen vehicle and possession of burglary tools cases, a Desert Hot Springs felon was arrested again on Wednesday after deputies found him in possession of a vehicle he allegedly carjacked the previous day. The vehicle had been carjacked from a man in neighboring Palm Desert Tuesday, Sept. 21.
The alleged suspect, 31-year-old Colton Todd Gibbs, has a lengthy criminal history in Riverside County dating back to 2016, with nearly a dozen cases including charges of possession of stolen vehicles and other property, possession and use of methamphetamine and other illegal narcotics, possession of burglary tools and theft. Superior Court records indicate that in addition to the two open cases against him, he has been convicted in all eight of the criminal cases filed against him.
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Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Christopher Ternes reported yesterday that their investigation began when deputies from the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station responded to reports of a carjacking that occurred Tuesday in the 75000 block of Sheryl Avenue near Cook Street.
During the incident, the suspect brandished what officials have since determined to be a replica firearm at the victim, while forcefully removing the man from his vehicle.
Colton Gibbs was arrested after officials say he used a replica firearm to carjack a victim’s vehicle in Palm Desert on Tuesday. He was found in possession of the vehicle in Desert Hot Springs the following afternoon. RSO booking photo
Station investigators, with assistance from the station’s Burglary Suppression Unit (BSU) and Special Enforcement Team (SET), began investigating the carjacking and at around 2:30 p.m. the day after the incident BSU members located the victim’s vehicle in the 11000 block of Ocotillo Road, in Desert Hot Springs.
“While conducting surveillance on this vehicle, a male and female were seen placing various items inside of the victim’s vehicle,” Ternes explained. “With the assistance of the Palm Desert Special Enforcement Team, the male and female were detained.”
The male, since identified as Gibbs, was positively identified as the suspect in the carjacking and a subsequent search of the victim’s vehicle uncovered a replica firearm believed to have been used to commit the crime.
Based on their investigation, Gibbs was arrested and booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on suspicion of carjacking, possession of a stolen vehicle, conspiracy to commit a crime and committing a crime while on bail or early release.
Online jail records indicate he remains in custody in lieu of $80,000 bail or bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Indio Larsen Justice Center Sept. 24.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is asking anyone with additional information to contact Investigator Chua at (760) 836-1600 or call anonymously at (760) 341-STOP (7867). Callers can refer to incident file number T212640013 and can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.