Easter Sunday murders in Coachella still under investigation
COACHELLA – Police are still investigating two murders that occurred on a particularly deadly Easter in Coachella.
On Sunday April 8, officers from the Coachella Police Department responded to a “shots fired” report in the 52-000 block of Calle Camancho. Around 4:30 AM, officers discovered the bodies of two men who had been shot. A second incident occurred later that same evening in the 85-000 block of Hill Drive, where Manuel Castro Urena was found unresponsive in the road following what was believed to be a physical altercation with another subject. He was taken to J.F.K. Memorial Hospital in Indio where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Police investigators are confident that these two cases are unrelated, but were sensitive to public concerns over the violence. According to a press release, investigators from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Central Homicide Unit “worked feverishly” in the following days “poring over clues, interviewing numerous parties, evaluating a significant amount of evidence, and relentlessly working to find those responsible.” Suspect Jesus Perea was arrested and charged with the murder of Urena two days after the murder, following witness interviews and the Coroner’s confirmation of cause of death .
On April 14, following notification of the next of kin, the victims of the Calle Camancho murders were reported to be David Montana Sanchez, 17 years old, of Coachella and Rodolfo Manuel Lopez, 32 years old, of Coachella. Investigators are continuing to analyze evidence, but are asking for the public’s help in solving the crime. Specifically, investigators are hoping for information regarding suspicious vehicles or persons near the scene of the crime prior to or after 4:30AM on April 8. Anonymous information can be provided through Crime Stoppers at (760) 341-STOP, or by sending us email at ThermalStation@riversidesheriff.org.
Read more:
The Desert Sun, Victims of double homicide in Coachella identified
