DHS Citizen on Patrol dies after brutal home-invasion attack, wife seeks justice

A Desert Hot Springs woman opened up for the first time about the night she and her husband were robbed and assaulted in their home. The two men convicted in the case may soon be facing murder charges for the death of George Salinas, a former Citizens on Patrol officer.

The crime happened in June of 2016, when an elderly couple was robbed and assaulted in their Desert Hot Springs home. On April 29, 2017 George Salinas died. His wife, Alicia Salinas said the brutal attack is to blame.

“That robbery ruined our lives, and they heard me, they heard me, when I told them, they ruined our life,” Mrs. Salinas said.

Mrs. Salinas says she remembers when she heard a commotion in the living room while she had been in the shower. When she checked to see what the noise was, she found her husband lying on the floor.

“I saw my husband on the floor. In a puddle of blood. A big puddle of blood, and they said, ‘Go back’. I didn’t get to say anything. And they said, ‘go back or we’ll shoot you’. All I did was pray to the Lady of Guadalupe and to God, ‘Please don’t let them kill him, please God, because my son and grandson are coming and they’re going to find us on the floor dead’,” Mrs. Salinas remembers.

Mr. Salinas had been recovering from shoulder surgery and head trauma from the assault, but Mrs. Salinas says he wasn’t the same since the attack.

Later police arrested 22-year-old Edward In-Zunza and 29-year-old Antonio Sanchez, both of Perris, who plead guilty and were sentenced to 15 and 10-year terms.

Read: P revious story on DHS home-invasion brutal attack

Less than two weeks ago, Mr. Salinas died. Now Mrs. Salinas is demanding justice.

“They should put them (behind bars) for life, believe me, for life. We didn’t invite them here. They came, ’cause they didn’t want to work. They picked this area ’cause we’re older. Maybe if they didn’t pick them up, they would’ve done it again,” Mrs. Salinas said.

We checked with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and Desert Hot Springs Police, and found out they are opening the case again.

“They are reviewing whether there is enough evidence that they might be able to make a murder charge and that’s what we’re looking into and pushing for. I think there’s a clear correlation between his death and that crime. And those individuals need to be held accountable for that,” Chief Dale Mondary said.

“I wish it would have been me who was beat up, not my husband, because he was not used to being sick or having pain and I feel I would have made it through,” Mrs. Salinas said.

Mr. Salinas will be laid to rest in Whittier on Tuesday.