Coachella law enforcement officials recently arrested a third suspect in connection with last month’s shooting.
The Coachella Community Action Team (CCAT), the La Quinta Special Enforcement Team, the La Quinta Traffic Team, and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team combined resources and served simultaneous search warrants at two residences, taking a male juvenile gang member into custody.
Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Sgt. Mariano Matos said in a recent RCSD release that this is the third male juvenile who has been arrested for suspected roles in a Nov. 2 shooting in Coachella.
Authorities searched one residence in the 84100 block of Laguna Lane in Coachella and another in the 82200 block of Santa Rosa Avenue in Indio.
Matos noted that the latest suspect, taken into custody last week, is a documented criminal street gang member.
During the search, law enforcement officials recovered a loaded, non-serialized 9mm handgun with an extended magazine. The male juvenile has been booked at the Indio Juvenile Hall. He faces charges of shooting at an occupied dwelling, juvenile in possession of a firearm, possession of a non-serialized firearm, possession of an extended magazine, and violation of juvenile probation.
The shooting occurred at 4:20 p.m. at the intersection of Balboa Street and Westfield Way, a City News Service (CNS) report recently published by NBC Palm Springs said. Shots had been fired at multiple residences after two people exited a vehicle. No injuries were reported.
A 15-year-old boy and 16-year-old boy, both documented gang members, were identified as suspects and were taken into custody two days later; the CNS report said. CCAT members allegedly found what they believed to be methamphetamine and other items that indicated the sale of narcotics.
One of those boys was arrested on suspicion of shooting at an occupied dwelling, possession of drug paraphernalia, and a felony warrant for assault with a deadly weapon. The other was arrested on suspicion of shooting at an occupied dwelling and possession of methamphetamine for sale. They were both booked into Indio Juvenile Hall.