Police: Palm Desert Man Poses as Indian Wells Resident for Free Tennis Tix, Golf Perks

 A 54-year-old Palm Desert man allegedly posed as an Indian Wells property owner to get free tickets to the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament and discounts at a golf club, a sheriff's lieutenant said Thursday.

Michael Capizzi was arrested Tuesday at his residence in the 72000 block of Desert Flower Drive by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department's Indian Wells Special Enforcement Team on suspicion of commercial burglary and altering a copy of an official record. He allegedly modified a copy of a grant deed to show he owned property in the 46000 block of Arapahoe Circle, sheriff's Lt. Coby Webb said.

"His motive for creating the fictitious document was to acquire a city of Indian Wells property owner identification card, and subsequently receive free admission tickets to the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament and discounted green fees at the Indian Wells Golf Resort," Webb alleged.

Capizzi received two suite tickets, four loge-level tickets and a parking pass for the tennis tournament after showing the property owner card at Indian Wells City Hall, Webb said.

"Additionally, Capizzi played 11 rounds of golf at the Indian Wells Golf Resort for the $35 resident rate, instead of the $115-$185 rate he should have paid," the lieutenant said.

Capizzi was booked at the county jail in Indio and posted a $5,000 bond on Wednesday, according to jail records.

He finished a three-year probation term earlier this month after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor property fraud charge in 2011, according to court records.

– City News Service.