Man Who Assaulted Officer in 2018 Sentenced to 13-Plus Years in State Prison

INDIO (CNS) – A man who sped away from Cathedral City police during a 2018 traffic stop, dragging an officer, was sentenced Monday to 13 years and 8 months in state prison.

Steven Flores, 36, of Cathedral City, faced five felony counts, one each of attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, robbery, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and resisting or deterring an officer, according to court records.

He pleaded guilty Feb. 23 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio to one felony count each of assault with a gun and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, according to court records.

He was sentenced Monday morning to 13 years and 8 months in state prison, according to court records.

On July 21, 2018, Flores was pulled over near Date Palm Drive and McCallum Way when an officer recognized his car from a suspect vehicle description, police said. Flores was wanted for shooting at a man during an attempted robbery outside a Palm Springs apartment about two weeks prior.

He sped off as an unidentified officer was still partially in his vehicle, causing minor injuries, according to Cathedral City police Cmdr. Julio Luna.

Flores was arrested the following week in the 3000 block of Robert Road in Thousand Palms by the Coachella Valley Violent Crime Task Force, which turned him over to the Cathedral City Police Department, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Paul Heredia.

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