Brother and sister plead guilty to concealing shooting death

A brother and sister who helped conceal a man’s shooting death in Desert Hot Springs pleaded guilty today to being accessories after the fact.

Candelaria DeSantiago, 32, and Alejandro DeSantiago, 39, were each sentenced to one year and four months in state prison, but both had already accumulated enough credit for time served to secure their immediate release, though they still must adhere to standard parole terms, such as not owning a firearm.

The siblings were charged in connection with the shooting death last Dec. 19 of Dominick Mesta, 21.

Read: DHS Police arrest three for murder

A murder charge has been filed against the alleged gunman, Anthony Garza, 27, who has a preliminary hearing scheduled for late October.

Mesta was found in the late morning hours of Dec. 20 near a home in the 13000 block of Via Real. A teenager came upon the body and notified police.

Detective Christopher Saucier said at the time of their arrests that the DeSantiagos “helped to try and conceal the murder,” but he did not elaborate.

Police have not disclosed a motive for the shooting.