In a tense encounter in Hesperia, law enforcement encountered more than just resistance during an attempted arrest of an armed robbery suspect. On the afternoon of March 26, 2024, Christian Cardenas Alonso, a 36-year-old previously convicted felon and known gang member, became the focal point of local deputies' efforts as they acted on investigative leads concerning a robbery that had occurred just days prior.

Alonso was spotted on Main Street. When deputies tried to pull him over, he stubbornly stayed put in his car. What followed was a police scuffle, forcing officers to escalate their approach. "A use of force occurred," detailed Sheriff Shannon Dicus, revealing an investigation into the incident is underway, including reviewing body camera footage from the scene, Nixle reports. The deputy involved has been temporarily benched, placed on administrative leave.

Search efforts didn't end with Alonso's apprehension. After prying the suspect's possession from the trunk of his car--which turned out to be the stolen property--deputies raided Alonso's business establishment, the Califa Tattoo shop, also located on Main Street. The operation snowballed into a chaotic dash as other gang members tried, but failed, to escape the premises.

In the aftermath, officers secured a firearm, ammunition, and gang-related materials from the business. With these findings in hand, the investigation's conclusion and relevant materials are being forwarded to the District Attorney's Office, said the sheriff's department. The fate of Alonso, and the implicated gang members, now hangs in the balance of legal review.