Man Arrested After Altercation at El Centro’s Planet Fitness

A routine search for a missing person in El Centro, California, took an unexpected turn when a 39-year-old man, identified as Roque Silva, engaged in a heated altercation with local police at a Planet Fitness gym on Friday, April 26.

According to a press release from the El Centro Police Department, officers were conducting a search near the area of 1900 North Imperial Avenue when one of them entered the Planet Fitness located at 1910 N. Imperial Ave. While inside, Silva approached the officer and initiated an argument without any apparent reason. In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, the officer explained the purpose of their presence and began to walk away.

However, tensions escalated further when Silva turned his aggression towards a nearby gym-goer who was recording the encounter with his cellphone. Silva allegedly stole the cellphone from the individual’s hand, leading to a physical altercation between them as the gym-goer attempted to retrieve his property. The situation intensified when the officer intervened to separate them, with Silva reportedly becoming physically aggressive towards the officer.

As the altercation unfolded, the police resorted to using less-than-lethal force options to apprehend Silva. He was subsequently arrested on charges of resisting arrest, assault against a police officer, and robbery for taking the cellphone. Silva was then booked into Imperial County Jail.

The case remains under investigation as authorities continue to gather information surrounding the altercation at Planet Fitness.