Man suspected in Desert Hot Springs fatal shooting to stand trial

A 44-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting a man in Desert Hot Springs must stand trial for murder, a judge ruled today.   

In addition to murder, case records indicated that Oscar Ernesto Canas was also held to answer for a felony count of assault with a gun on Thursday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, as well as three firearms-related enhancements.

The defendant is due back in court for a post-preliminary hearing arraignment on Nov. 7.

Canas is suspected in a 2022 shooting that occurred in the 13500 block of Mountain View Road in Desert Hot Springs, in which a man identified in court documents as Johnnie M. was found suffering from a gunshot wound, according to the Desert Hot Springs Police Department.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. It was not immediately known what prompted that shooting.  

An officer said Canas was located several days later in Sky Valley, where members of a Gang Task Force took him into custody following a confrontation in which Canas was injured.

It was unclear what occurred during that confrontation, but the officer said at least one shot was fired, and Canas was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

It was also unclear if he was hit by gunfire or injured in some other way. There was no word on how many shots were fired or what prompted the gunfire.

Canas was treated for minor injuries and later booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio, where he was being held without bail.   

Amy McKenzie with the Riverside County District Attorney's office told City News Service the Sky Valley shooting involved a D.A. investigator from the Riverside County Gang Impact Team, led by the D.A.'s Bureau of Investigation. She added that a firearm was recovered at the scene.

There were no reports of any injuries to officers or other civilians.