Mayor: Coachella Crime Rising

Police need the assistance of residents and witnesses to catch the suspects responsible for gunning down a 2-year-old boy in Coachella on Wednesday.

It’s been two days since that deadly shooting in the Rancho Mariposa community.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said it is working on leads, but it needs more.

Members of the community also said the homicide investigation is just part of bigger city issue.

“My son heard the gunshots,” said Ramona Zarate, who lives a few houses down from where the shooting occured.

On any other day, it’s likely one or all of Zarate’s five kids would have been playing outside at the same time a car pulled up to her neighbors house and the suspects opened fire on the two men and 2-year-old Elijah Banuelos, of Perris, inside the garage, said Zarate.

Banuelos was shot in the head and later died at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

“It was like, man, that’s a tragedy,” said Zarate.

Coachella Mayor Eduardo Garcia said he is equally disturbed by the shooting. He was at the scene of the crime on Wednesday night, just hours after shots were fired.

“Gang violence is something that hits home for everyone,” said Garcia, who has two 8-year-old children.

He promises that authorities are doing their best to solve the crime, but at this time, the Coachella police and sheriff’s department have not released a description of the suspects or vehicle involved.

Coachella’s first homicide of 2012 is just part of a rising tide of crime in the city, Garcia said.

At city council meetings, and on the streets, residents are telling Garcia that they’ve noticed an increase in robberies, vandalism and graffiti, he said.

“The financial circumstance of the state have pushed a tremendous burden on local law enforcement, particularly the release program of low-offending criminals,” said Garcia.

Crime tape still straddled a light post on the 84000 block of Redondo Sur Friday which is a grim reminder of how crime and acts of violence can quickly spiral out of control.

“The mentality of, ‘It’s not my problem, it’s not my business,’ should not be really accepted,” said Garcia.

Call Valley Crimestoppers at (760) 431-STOP if you know anything about the shooting.

You can remain anonymous and could receive an up to $1,000 reward.