Two men suspected in shooting at Palm Desert mall parking lot re-enter not guilty pleas
Two young men suspected in a car-to-car shooting in the parking lot of The Shops in Palm Desert earlier this year re-entered not guilty pleas to felony charges today.
Adelanto residents Allen Curcio Adams Jr. and Alexander Brice Alvarado, both 20, were charged with four felony counts of attempted murder and one felony count each of shooting at a vehicle dwelling and being a convicted felon and narcotic addict in possession of a firearm, according to court records. The victims were identified in court documents only by their initials "A.R.," "M.R.," "P.G." and "G.R."
They re-entered not guilty pleas to the same charges Thursday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to court records.
Following a preliminary hearing May 18, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jason Stone ruled that there was sufficient evidence to hold Adams and Alvarado to answer on all charges except one charge, which was discharged but re-implemented when the information complaint was filed June 2, according to court records.
Each defendant initially pleaded not guilty to all charges March 24 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Deputies from the Palm Desert station responded around 2 p.m. on Feb. 2 to reports of shots fired at the mall in the 72-800 block of Highway 111, according to Sgt. Travis Mountz of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Shortly after, the sheriff's station alerted the public that a shooting occurred in the south parking lot of the mall.
"Based on the investigation, it is believed the incident was a car-to-car, gang-related shooting, with over 40 rounds fired,'' Mountz said in a statement. "Thankfully, no one was injured during the incident."
The same day, two ``people of interest'' from Desert Hot Springs were detained and several search warrants were served for the ongoing investigation, according to Mountz.
"The two detained the night of the incident were later determined to be possible victims," a spokesperson with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department told City News Service. "As a result, they were released, and no charges were filed against them."
The Palm Desert Investigations Bureau subsequently identified Adams and Alvarado as suspects in the shooting and on Wednesday, investigators and the Riverside County Gang Impact Team served a search warrant in the 11100 block of Hyattsville Street in Adelanto, Mountz said.
Following the search, Adams and Alvarado were arrested and later booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, where they remain held without bail.
Anyone with additional information regarding the shooting was encouraged to contact investigator William Hickok at 760-836-1600.
