Couple wanted in Indiana murder investigation arrested in Coachella Valley
A man and woman accused of killing an octogenarian by burning down her home in Bloomington, Indiana were arrested in the Coachella Valley and are being held without bail while awaiting extradition, sheriff’s officials said today.
Noel Montes Cazares, 48, was arrested April 5 in Palm Desert by deputies who pulled him over on Fred Waring Drive, near Painters Path. Investigators in Indiana had notified local authorities of “a murder suspect who had fled Indiana and was in Palm Desert,” according to a sheriff’s statement.
Misty Lou Allen, 44, identified in media reports as Cazares’ girlfriend, was arrested around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 78100 block of Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage. Sheriff’s deputies reported that she had an outstanding arrest warrant for assisting a criminal and obstruction of justice charges out of Monroe County, Indiana.
The pair are accused in the Feb. 10 death of 85-year-old former Palm Desert resident Lerae Bush. In January 2017, while still living in the Coachella Valley, she went missing for about five hours, prompting the sheriff’s department to ask for help in locating her.
Bush’s connection to Cazares or Allen was unclear, but media reports out of Indiana cite court document alleging that Cazares was posing as Bush’s son, “Giovanni Bush.” That name was discovered on trust documents as the beneficiary of Bush’s $10 million estate. Family members told police she didn’t have a son.
Cazares appeared in a Riverside courtroom last Friday and waived extradition, and Allen did the same this morning, according to court records. Hearings are set for later this month to verify whether the suspects are retrieved by out-of-state authorities.
Download the KESQ & CBS Local 2 app on iTunes or Google Play for up-to-the-minute breaking news alerts & more
More: I-Team and Stands for You investigations
Find us on Facebook: KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2
Follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates: @KESQ & @Local2
We’re on Instagram! @KESQ_News_Channel_3 & @CBSLocal2
Noticias en español: Telemundo 15
