A Santa Monica man was arrested early Sunday after threatening to bomb the Coachella Music & Arts Festival, according to Cathedral City Police Department officials.
Davis Darvish, 40, was taken into custody shortly after midnight in Palm Springs following a search that utilized automated license plate recognition technology to track his movements throughout the Coachella Valley.
The incident began when security personnel at Agua Caliente Casino alerted police about a suspicious man in a Tesla who approached them stating he would "be responsible for a bombing" at the festival, authorities said.
Officers used Department of Motor Vehicles records to identify the vehicle's owner and immediately notified festival security about the potential threat. Investigators tracked Darvish's car using Flock ALPR cameras until locating it in Palm Springs.
A subsequent search of Darvish's vehicle revealed no weapons, explosives or bomb-making materials in his possession, police confirmed.
Darvish was arrested and charged with making bomb threats. He is currently being held at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on $1 million bail.
Authorities are asking anyone with information regarding the case to contact Cathedral City Police Sgt. Rick Osborne at 760-202-2448. Anonymous tips can be provided through Crime Stoppers at 760-341-STOP.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, one of the nation's largest music events, draws thousands of attendees to Indio each spring.
