Neighbors reveal what led up to massive Coachella police investigation

UPDATE: As of Thursday morning, Fourth street near Cesar Chavez is still closed off as police continue their investigation.

The investigation continued overnight in Coachella, where for hours police used heavy duty construction equipment to dig through a yard.

One by one, police neatly stacked palettes of cement paving stones on 4th Street, between Palm Avenue and Cesar Chavez Street. The piles of cinder were one of the only clues residents on the streets had into what police were doing.

"This is the first time I've seen something like this," said Elpego Mejilla, speaking in Spanish. His interview has been translated.

Mejilla said he was waken up around 2 a.m. Wednesday to the sound of gunfire.

"This morning I got up early because I heard two gunshots but I didn’t know exactly what happened," he said.

Before the sun was up, Mejilla said, emergency responders were on scene. He said he saw two men being arrested outside a home he knew to be vacant but under construction for the last six months.

"The police came and they took two guys from there," he said. "I don't know if they were the owners of the house but the police took them."

The Sheriff's Department brought in heavy duty excavation machinery and special equipment, appearing to dig up the yard.

Concerned residents came out of their homes throughout the day looking for answers. Many of them were afraid to speak to News Channel 3 crews on camera.

"I have my children here and it is really dangerous," Mejilla said.

With few details know, they were left to wonder what police were looking for, or what they may have found.

The Sheriff's Department has not yet revealed much about the investigation, though they said it is a follow up on a previous case.

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