Adult, 3 Boys Charged With Teen’s New Year’s Day Murder

Murder and attempted murder charges were filed today against a Desert Hot Springs man in the shooting death of a 16-year- old boy on New Year’s Day.

Erik Godina, 27, also was charged with participating in a criminal street gang, with arraignment scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Godina and three boys, a 13- and 17-year-old from Desert Hot Springs and a 17-year-old Cathedral City boy, were arrested on suspicion of homicide in the roughly 12:30 a.m. shooting death in the 66400 block of Fifth Street, police Cmdr. Kate Singer said.

Godina was arrested Friday and has been locked up in lieu of $1 million bail at the Larry D. Smith jail in Banning, according to jail records.

Neighbors called police early New Year’s Day to report hearing someone being chased, then gunfire. Police arrived to find the boy fatally shot.