Coachella Man Arrested for Threatening Elderly Man and Stealing a Postal Truck

COACHELLA – A Coachella man was arrested for threatening and attempting to carjack an elderly man who was in his front yard in the 52400 block of Morgan Street on Wednesday afternoon.

Hernan Ortega, 32 allegedly threatened the man with a metal pipe and when a postman stopped to help the man, Ortega fled the scene in the US Postal truck officials said. He then drove northbound on Avenue 52, where he abandoned the vehicle.

Ortega was quickly apprehended and was booked into the Riverside County Jail in the City of Indio. He now faces charges for carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon, and assaulting an elderly person.

In addition to the related offenses, Ortega was found to have two outstanding arrest warrants for vehicle theft and the possession of stolen property.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call Deputy Damian Ruiz at the Thermal Sheriff’s Station at (760) 863-8990, or they can call Crime Stoppers at (760) 341-STOP (7867)

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