How California police tracked down a man accused of threatening to bomb Coachella

Garrett Hottle

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — A man who allegedly told security guards he would be “responsible for a bombing” at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was tracked down and arrested with the help of license plate recognition technology, police said.

Security guards at the Agua Caliente Casino in Cathedral City caught wind of Davis Darvish, 40, of Santa Monica saying he intended to bomb the nearby festival. Guards quickly alerted police.

Officers began searching for Darvish’s Tesla within minutes, using Flock ALPR – a system of surveillance cameras capable of reading and tracing license plates in real time. Investigators accessed DMV records to confirm the vehicle’s owner, then followed its movements through the Coachella Valley.

The car was found in Palm Springs, police said. Darvish intially drove away from police, and attempted to walk away from his vehicle, but was ultimately taken into custody without resistance. A search of the vehicle turned up no explosives, weapons, or materials related to bomb-making, according to police.

Though police said there was no immediate threat to festivalgoers or the public, law enforcement at Coachella was informed of the situation as a precaution during the investigation.

Darvish is facing charges of making a false bomb report, and remains in custody on $1 million bail, according to booking records. He’s slated to be arraigned on Wednesday.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates on this developing story.