Crime & Safety

Standoff: Elderly Man Pulls Gun on Neighbor, Holes Up in Home, Police Say

Sheriff's officials say it happened at a home in Rancho Mirage. The suspect is now free on bail.

A 71-year-old Rancho Mirage man was free Tuesday on $25,000 bail after police say he threatened his neighbor with a gun, and then engaged police in an hours-long standoff, according to police and jail reports.

Stephen Hoesche was arrested at a home in the 71000 block of Biskra Road, in a neighborhood just west of Highway 111 and Bob Hope Drive, at about 5:15 p.m. Monday, according to Riverside County Sheriff's Sergeant Andrew Nielsen.

His arrest came about three hours after a man who lives there reported that he was assaulted with a weapon, according to Neilsen.

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"The victim, a 51-year-old white male who was a resident of the location, reported another resident had assaulted him with a weapon," Neilsen said.

When police got to the scene shortly after that call at 2:19 p.m., "the suspect was seen with a firearm and he retreated inside the residence and repeatedly refused commands given to surrender," the sergeant said.

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Hoesche eventually gave himself up to police, and was arrested.  Sheriff's officials say they found a firearm inside his house.

He was booked at the Indio jail on assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threats, according to jail records.

 


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