Jimmy Hughes Gets Ready For Tuesday Court Appearance

INDIO-Jimmy Hughes is led in handcuffs through the Riverside Jail parking lot on his way to be booked for murder. The Christian ministry leader arrived in Ontario Airport late Saturday night.

Hughes was arrested September in Miami. Extradition took three months, but Hughes is now here and preparing for a Tuesday Indio arraignment. Detective John Powers led the team and walks in front. Detective Tim Brause tells us how they finally snagged Hughes.

“When, as the result of an immigration hit on Mr. Hughes’ passport. We were notified by customs and immigration that Mr. Hughes was going to be attempting to leave Miami International Airport in Florida the following day. This resulted in a mad scramble for us to get there and arrest him prior to him returning to Honduras,” says Detective Brause.

Hughes worked as security chief of the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians in the 1980’s. An arrest warrant alleges Hughes worked with two others to murder Tribal Vice Chairman Fred Alvarez who was blowing the whistle on weapons manufacturing deals the tribe was getting involved in.

A KNBC-TV interview from the mid eighties is now prosecution evidence.

In it, Hughes recalls, “One deal is particular. We had some dignitaries from Nicaragua and Honduras come down and we had a demonstration at Lake Cahuilla of some night vision equipment and weapons.”

Alvarez friends Ralph Boger and Patty Castro were also murdered July 1st, 1981 in Rancho Mirage. Boger’s daughter Rachel got the cold case reopened recently after gathering evidence on her own.

There are two complications in prosecuting Hughes. First, Jimmy Hughes is distantly related to Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco. Therefore, the state Attorney General’s office will handle this case. Second, prosecutors once offered Hughes immunity, believing he was a material witness.

John Gordnier with the state Attorney General’s office said in a 1980’s interview, “I think Mr. Hughes has quite a bit of information with respect to what happened in the Alvarez case. We talked to Mr. Hughes. The Riverside authorities have talked to Mr. Hughes. We do believe he has a lot of useful and worthwhile information about this matter.”

But for now, detectives are declaring victory, catching a man they believe murdered three people and hid in the open for 28 years.

Detective Brause adds, “It’s a proud day for the Cold Case unit and definitely the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department from Sheriff Stan Sniff all the way down to the rank and file.”