Murder victim identified by in-laws, court docs
A homicide victim whose body was found on Avenue 53 near Coachella has been identified by her in-laws, who she lived with.
According to a felony complaint from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, “Anita G.” a.k.a. Deaija L. was fatally shot because was a witness of a crime. Deaija’s in-laws identified her as the victim and sent along the photo above. The Riverside County Coroner’s Bureau has not yet officially released her identity due to difficulty finding next of kin.
On Wednesday, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department announced that they had arrested two suspects wanted in connection with her killing. Her body was found around 6 a.m. on Avenue 53 near Monroe Street; deputies remained on scene for over 13 hours for the investigation.
San Diego resident Alexis Daniel Rosas, 24, and Indio resident Maury Duarte, 29, were taken into custody at 10:30 p.m. Monday at an unspecified location on Avenue 42 in Indio. Both entered not guilty pleas in court at the Larson Justice Center in Indio Wednesday afternoon.
According to the felony complaint in the case, Rosas shot an unidentified woman because she had witnessed a crime. Rosas is also facing a charge of attempted murder for the shooting of another man.
PREVIOUS STORY: Two arrested in connection with murder of woman near Coachella
Duarte’s charge stems from her alleged aiding, concealing, and harboring of Rosas while knowing about the attempted murder.
Rosas is being held without bail while Duarte is being held on $1 million bail. The topic of bail will be reviewed at their felony settled conference on July 15. Their preliminary hearing is slated for July 17.
The body was found on the 82600 block of Avenue 53, near Monroe Street on June 25 at around 6:00 a.m. Avenue 53 was closed between Monroe Street and Jackson Street for at least 13 hours deputies investigated. The woman’s body was found on the shoulder of the roadway.
The suspects, 29-year-old Maury Duarte of Indio and 24-year-old Alexis Daniel Rosas of San Diego were arrested in connection with the killing. According to county jail records, Maury and Rosas were both taken into custody on Monday at 10:30 p.m. at a location on Avenue 42 in Indio. Both are facing one count of murder with malice. They are slated to appear in court at the Larson Justice Center in Indio on Wednesday.
County jail records also show that Rosas also faces one felony count of violation of state parole, a misdemeanor count of obstructing a public officer, a misdemeanor count of making unauthorized paper money, and a misdemeanor identity theft count.
ORIGINAL STORY: Body found near Coachella, investigators on scene for 12 hours
The investigation is active; anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact Investigator Bishop with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777.
Stay with us for the latest updates on this developing story.
