Social media post leads deputies to burglary suspect months later

What began as an ordinary morning for a Palm Desert family last December turned into a crime scene—and months later, an arrest.

Deputies with the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station said they first learned of the burglary in an unusual way: while scrolling through a social media app on Dec. 18, 2024. Around 11:40 a.m., they came across a post suggesting a theft had taken place in the city. Following the trail, deputies traced the information to a home in the 73000 block of Krug Avenue.

When they contacted the resident, the victim recounted what had happened just a few hours earlier. At about 8 a.m., surveillance cameras had captured an unknown man entering the house while the family was inside. The video showed the intruder leaving with an electric bicycle, authorities said.

Investigators with the station’s Robbery and Burglary Suppression Team began piecing together clues and eventually identified a suspect: Alex Lopez, a 30-year-old Indio resident.

For months, the case remained open until Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, when deputies said their search for Lopez came to an end. Working with Palm Desert’s Special Enforcement Team, investigators located Lopez near Jackson Street and Highway 111 in Indio around 5 p.m. He was taken into custody without incident, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

Lopez was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on suspicion of first-degree residential burglary.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing. They are asking anyone with information to contact Deputy Pouchoulen at the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station by calling (760) 836-1600.