Rancho Mirage, California – A convicted felon accused of participating in the detonation of an explosive device that caused damage on a highway in Rancho Mirage is set to face trial for charges related to the incident, a judge decided. Jason Edward Hershey, 50, was taken into custody in 2021 as part of a comprehensive investigation conducted by local and federal authorities into the Halloween 2020 explosion.
Following a preliminary hearing, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Kristi Hester ruled that there was enough evidence to proceed with a trial on the charges of using a destructive device and vandalism against Hershey. A post-preliminary hearing arraignment has been scheduled for May 23 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Hershey, who is currently out on his own recognizance, had a co-defendant in the case, Michael Henry Hardisty, 60, from Cathedral City. Hardisty was sentenced to six years in state prison in August 2022 after pleading guilty to the same charges that Hershey is facing.
The explosion that took place on the evening of October 31, 2020, along Highway 111, between Peterson Road and Country Club Drive, resulted in debris being scattered across six lanes of traffic. Fortunately, no drivers were harmed during the incident. The investigation into the explosion involved a collaboration between sheriff’s detectives and agents from the FBI and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
Hershey and Hardisty were both apprehended in May 2021, although no specific motive for the explosion has been publicly disclosed. Court documents reveal that Hershey has previous convictions for offenses such as receiving stolen property, burglary, and possession of controlled substances. The case continues to unfold as more details emerge regarding the events leading up to the explosive incident.