Palm Springs shooting suspect held to answer for attempted murder

A 23-year-old man suspected in a late-night shooting that injured two people in Palm Springs must stand trial for attempted murder and assault with a gun, a judge ruled today.

Joel Ramirez Benitez of Palm Springs was also held to answer a sentence-enhancing allegation of causing great bodily injury during a preliminary hearing Thursday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Officers responded at 10:25 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2023 to reports of a shooting in the 2600 block of East Tahquitz Canyon Way, according to the Palm Springs Police Department. Two people were shot and sustained non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

Benitez was arrested early the next morning near North Indian Canyon Drive, according to inmate records. Police said officers were still trying to determine the motive for the shooting at the time of arrest.

He was subsequently booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio, where he was held on $1 million bail.