Man arrested after hiker stabbed on Palm Springs CV Link trail

People reports that Jacob Masters, 53, was arrested in connection with a stabbing of a hiker on the CV Link trail in Palm Springs.

KTLA and Desert Sun report the stabbing occurred at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 31, 2025, while an unidentified adult man was hiking between Golf Club Drive and Cathedral Canyon Drive. Palm Springs Police said the victim made eye contact with a man on the trail, left the area about 15 minutes later, and that the suspect, identified as Masters, "reportedly put on a ski mask, approached while yelling profanities, and assaulted the victim, knocking him to the ground." The victim fought back in what police currently believe to be an "unprovoked" attack; he later learned he had been stabbed, was treated at a local hospital and released.

Authorities located Masters on the 5600 block of E. Ramon Road on Sunday, Jan. 11. The Palm Springs Police Department said that "when officers attempted to detain him, Masters fled but was ultimately apprehended near the CV Link trail in the area of the Cimarron Golf Course." He was booked at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility and charged with attempted murder and resisting an officer.

Police added that Masters "did not demand property, and the motive remains under investigation."

Key Topics

World, Jacob Masters, Cv Link Trail, Palm Springs, Palm Springs Police, Cimarron Golf Course