Public Safety
Man Pleads Guilty to Involvement in Marijuana Honey Oil Lab Explosion
(CNS) – A 63-year-old man will spend two years on probation for his involvement in a marijuana honey oil lab explosion in a Palm Springs apartment that left a woman with serious injuries.
Norman Gary Purnell Sr. pleaded guilty Wednesday to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit a crime, according to court records. He was immediately sentenced to two months of formal probation.
In a declaration in support of an arrest warrant filed in October 2019, Detective Lauren Bixler of the Palm Springs Police Department said that at around midnight on Oct. 15, 2019, 28-year-old Ryan Martin, and Alejandra Jimenez, 27, went to Purnell’s apartment on East Vista Chino, where Purnell provided butane gas, marijuana “shake,” and containers needed to make honey oil.
At around 4 a.m. the same day, an explosion occurred in the 600 block of East Vista Chino Road, according to the Palm Springs Police Department, which reported that investigators determined it was caused by a cigarette that had been lit during the manufacturing of honey oil.
Purnell, Martin and Jimenez were all taken to a hospital, according to the Palm Springs Police Department, which described Jimenez’s injuries as major, Martin’s as minor, and Purnell’s injuries of unspecified severity.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Special Investigations Bureau and the Coachella Valley Narcotics Task Force assisted Palm Springs police with the investigation.
Martin and Jimenez were both charged with two felony counts, one each of causing a fire that caused great bodily injury and conspiracy to commit a crime, according to court records. Martin pleaded not guilty to the charges on Oct. 17, 2019, and charges were dismissed against Jimenez on Oct. 9, 2020.
Martin remains behind bars at John J. Benoit Detention Center, where he was being held on $1 million bail. He’s due back at the Larson Justice Center on Friday for a felony settlement conference.
Honey oil is created when parts of the marijuana plant are soaked in a solvent or blasted with butane gas, which are highly flammable. The result is a substance consumed by smoking, eating or vaporizing. Manufacturing honey oil is a felony.
Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.
By: Ceci Partridge
November 18, 2022
Latest Instagram Posts
Pregame update from Tim O’Brien ahead of tonight’s preseason matchup between the Coachella Valley Firebirds and the Ontario Reign. Tim has the latest from Acrisure Arena as the Firebirds get set for tonight’s game. UPDATE: Firebirds #CVFirebirds #CoachellaValleyFirebirds #OntarioReign #AHL #Hockey PalmSprings CoachellaValley
Who makes the NBC Top 3, winner will be announced Sunday night on NBC Palm Springs, with the player who makes the number one spot winning a $250 prize from @hondaofthedesert! Comment below if it will be 1) Xzavier Hernandez with the dot towards the back of the endzone, 2) Jesse Rodriguez with the 50 plus yard TD throw, 3) Trace Vargas with the diving TD, 4) Ryan Rumsey with the screen pass TD, making guys miss, or 5) Moyses Aguilar with the pick #fyp #fnl2026 #hondaofthedesert #highschoolfootball #fridaynightlights
Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇 #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #explore #nbcpalmsprings
⚡️ TOP STORY: A man is recovering after he was struck by lightning. Firefighters battled a brush fire along Snow Creek Road, while another lightning strike in Chino Canyon sent a man to the hospital. If you hear thunder, stay indoors for at least 30 minutes after the last rumble. #PalmSprings #Lightning #FireSafety
🚨 Chasing that year-round “summer glow”? A social media tanning trend involving the unapproved peptide melanotan-2 is raising serious safety concerns. Dermatologists say safer sunless tanning options are available. ☀️ #YourHealthToday #SkinHealth #Melanotan2 #TanningSafety
Palm Springs firefighters responded Thursday to a report of a person struck by lightning in the Chino Canyon area. The person was transported to a hospital for medical treatment. Firefighters also responded to a palm tree fire in Chino Canyon that officials say was caused by an apparent lightning strike. NBC Palm Springs News Director David Reese is in the neighborhood tonight knocking on doors and trying to learn more about what happened. Did you see the lightning strike? Did you hear or see anything unusual? Do you know who was struck or have information that could help us understand what happened? We’d like to hear from you. Send us a DM here or contact NBC Palm Springs if you witnessed the incident or have information to share. #PalmSprings #ChinoCanyon #Lightning #PalmSpringsNews #NBCPalmSprings CoachellaValley BreakingNews
Fred Roggin’s response? Show us the receipts! #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #explore #nbcpalmsprings
A $557k budget shortfall … so why do they need $11.3 million in new taxes? Are you voting Yes or No on Measure P? #therogginreport #measurep #localnews #coachellavalley #nbcpalmsprings
School board trustee wears “FAFO” shirt to court deposition. Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇🏽 #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #explore #nbcpalmsprings
Estevan Figueroa of King’s Club Barbershop is giving back across the Coachella Valley — one haircut at a time. He and his team recently gave dozens of free haircuts to kids at the Boys and Girls Club in Cathedral City. Figueroa also provides clothing, essentials and encouragement to people in need. Inspired by lessons from his father, he’s now started a nonprofit to help even more people in the community. “Look good, feel good.” @barbercipactli Read the full story at NBCPalmSprings.com.