Illegal use of disabled parking placards at Coachella increases

The number of people cited for misusing a disabled person’s parking placard on the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival increased over that period from the last time the event was held, the Indio Police Department said Monday, April 18. Arrests also were higher.

There were 54 placard citations written this year and 42 in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the festival for two years. Additionally, 18 people were cited for unlawfully parking in a handicapped parking stall — twice as many as in 2019.

People entering the handicapped parking area must show the identification of the person to whom the placard was issued, and that person must be in the car.

“We want to educate people to say don’t use grandma’s or uncle’s or best friend’s placard for the convenience of parking,” said Benjamin Guitron, a Police Department spokesman.

Police made 112 arrests starting with the arrival of fans on Thursday night: 85 for intoxication, 15 for presenting false identification, nine for property crimes and three for possession of illegal drugs to make sales. There were 99 arrests on the first weekend of 2019.

Guitron said police were pleased overall with how the weekend went for the department. Attendance figures for the weekend were not announced, but the capacity is 125,000 and the tickets were sold out. Please encourage the festivalgoers to be patient.

“Make good choices that are in the interest of safety,” Guitron said. “It’s only a few that aren’t.”

Away from festival venue the Empire Polo Club, one officer was injured Saturday night when he was struck by a car driven by a Fountain Valley resident, police said.

Michael Anthony Berber, 32, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, felony evading and violating his probation. A news release said Berber failed to follow traffic-control directions at Calle Conejo and Avenue 48 and hit the officer when he drove away. Berber was arrested in Thousand Palms after a pursuit.

The officer was released from a hospital on Sunday and is recovering.

The second weekend of Coachella is April 22-24. The Stagecoach Country Music Festival comes to the Empire Polo Club on April 29-30 and May 1.

Source: Orange County Register