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Man arrested for alleged bomb threat aimed at Coachella Festival

The suspect remains in custody at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio, California

INQUIRER.net US Bureau / 10:10 PM April 13, 2025

Festivalgoers are seen during the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

CATHEDRAL CITY – A 40-year-old man remained in custody Sunday after being arrested on suspicion of making false bomb threats to the Coachella Music & Arts Festival in Riverside County.

Cathedral City police officers responded at 10:40 a.m. Saturday to reports of a suspicious man at the Agua Caliente Casino in Cathedral City, department officials said.

Casino security informed police that a man driving a Tesla said he would be responsible for a bombing at the festival, Cathedral City police
reported.

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Police looked up the vehicle details and identified the owner as Davis Darvish, a resident of Santa Monica.

Festival personnel and local law enforcement were notified of the threat and remained on the lookout for Darvish and his vehicle.

Around noon, Palm Springs police officers located Darvish’s vehicle in their city and detained him. Upon searching his vehicle, no weapons, explosives or bomb-making materials were found, Cathedral City police said.

Darvish was booked into custody on $1 million bail at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio.

Cathedral City detectives were also investigating Darvish’s activities prior to his contact with Agua Caliente Casino security.

In recent years, the Coachella event has drawn close to 100,000 fans per day.

The festival, which opened Friday at the Empire Polo Club grounds in Indio continued Sunday with headliners Post Malone and Megan Thee Stallion.

Along with Indio police, other law enforcement agencies have been lending support throughout the event, include the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol.

Up to 40,000 campers were expected to bivouac around the grounds, while others will be packing area hotels and motels, with a large number of attendees flooding Interstate 10 each day and arriving in their own rides or via ride-sharing services, according to organizers. (CNS)