EL CENTRO — Thirty-nine-year-old Roque Silva worked up a big sweat in front of El Centro’s Planet Fitness after a heated workout with local police and a man recording cell phone video eventually led to some cardio-raising “less-than-lethal force options” to take him into custody.   

El Centro police were looking for a missing person in the area of 1900 North Imperial Avenue around noon Friday, April 26, when one of the officers went to Planet Fitness to look for the person, according to an El Centro Police Department press release. 

While at the fitness center at 1910 N. Imperial Ave., Silva approached the officer and started an argument for no apparent reason, according to the press release, and, “to de-escalate the situation, the officer explained to Roque why he was there and started to walk away.”

As the situation unfolded, a nearby gym-goer began recording with his cellphone. Silva then reportedly focused his anger toward him and stole the cell phone from the gym-goer’s hand, the release states. A physical altercation then ensued between Silva and the gym-goer as he tried to get his cell phone back, police state in the release. 

The officer intervened and tried separating them when Silva engaged the officer and became physically aggressive, according to the press release.

Less-than-lethal force was used to apprehend Silva, who was arrested on counts of resisting arrest, assault against a police officer, and robbery for taking the cell phone. He was booked into Imperial County jail.

The investigation is ongoing, police stated.

Five Arrested in Drug Vehicle Call

EL CENTRO — Five drug arrests apparently made through a report to El Centro police of suspicious activity unfolded over the course of a few hours and resulted in one subject fleeing officers. 

El Centro police received the initial call of suspicious drug activity shortly after 11:30 a.m. Thursday, April 25, where the description of a vehicle was given, but none was found at that time.

A few hours later, at 1:42 p.m., officers located the vehicle and made a traffic stop in the 1500 block of North Imperial Avenue for code violation, according to a press release.

As the vehicle stopped, a passenger fled, later identified as Reginold Gilles. The release states that officers established a perimeter of the area, and Gilles was apprehended. Gilles was arrested on suspicion of evading arrest and booked at Imperial County jail for a warrant, according to the press release.

The other four occupants of the vehicle were detained. El Centro Police Department’s canine alerted to possible drugs in the vehicle, and the driver of the vehicle, Jacob Rodriguez, was arrested for drug counts, the press release states.

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