Candy Cane Lane shooting survivor asks public for help to find suspect

Surviving mother Roxanne who did not want her full name disclosed, said she used to love going to Candy Cane Lane in Cathedral City but after she lost her unborn baby and her boyfriend at the time, all she feels there is pain.

“I did not get to meet my son, I did not get to hold him, I didn’t get to feel his warmth,” Roxanne said.

Almost one year ago, Roxanne was 37 weeks pregnant. Her boyfriend, David Chavez and her three nieces drove out to visit Candy Cane Lane in Cathedral City. Roxanne says as they drove through the neighborhood, a driver behind them became impatient.

“This car started honking excessively behind us so I told David to pull over,” Roxanne said.

Roxanne said things escalated after the driver didn’t pass, but stopped to harass them. Both drivers, Chavez and the other man got out of their cars, exchanged words and then the other man pulled out a gun and started shooting.

Chavez was killed. Roxanne was wounded in the car. Her unborn baby was hit and didn’t survive. Roxanne says the gunman fled on foot while a woman in the man’s car jumped in the driver’s seat and took off.

“It happened near a street where there’s a lot of holiday festivities, there’s a lot of people but unfortunately very few witness to to this actual crime,” Cathedral City Police Public Information Officer, Lt. Glen Haas said.

Cathedral City police are investigating the case and haven’t developed many leads leaving detectives with little to go on.

“We do have some evidence some information that we still continue to work. Unfortunately it’s not something that is enough right now to make an arrest,” Lt. Haas said.

Roxanne said she refuses to let Chavez’s and her son, Atreyu Chavez’s lives be forgotten.

“He was not a gang member, he was here. He was a hard-working man. He worked that day. He worked and that day I washed my son’s clothes and got our diaper bag ready cause I was supposed to give birth in about two weeks,” Roxanne said.

Roxanne is urging anyone with information to contact the Cathedral City Police Department or Valley Crime Stoppers at (760) 341-STOP. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward leading to an arrest.