Arrest Made in Taqueria Robbery

A Bermuda Dunes man has been arrested for the of Taqueria el Sinaloense in Palm Desert.

23-year-old John Van Winkle was arrested in his vehicle while in La Quinta late Tuesday afternoon after allegedly robbing the restaurant at gunpoint earlier in the day.

Later, authorities served a search warrant at Van Winkle's residence in
Bermuda Dunes. Van Winkle posted a $25,000 bond today and was expected to be arraigned Sept. 12 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to jail
records.

According to Deputy Angel Ramos, Investigators from the Sheriff's Department's Palm Desert and Thermal stations are continuing  investigations into numerous similar robberies occurring in La Quinta and Bermuda Dunes matching the taqueria robbery.

Police recieved the first report of the armed robbery at 2:27 p.m. Tuesday.

Officers arrived within minutes and learned a male adult entered the business, brandished a handgun, and demanded the money from the cash register. The suspect received an undetermined amount of money and left the location on foot by running northbound.