Baby Shot In Cathedral City Drive-By In Aunt’s Custody

A 4-month-old baby shot in a gang-related drive-by shooting in Cathedral City’s Dream Homes neighborhood on Nov. 2 will be returned to his family, a Riverside County judge ruled on Wednesday morning.

“I’m gonna get my son back,” the excited father shared outside the courtroom.

His mother, 16-year-old Yanize Mora, was killed in the shooting, and his father, 17-year-old Moises Sanudo, was critically injured.

He has since made a near-full recovery, and fought for his son’s return.

“I didn’t even know until I woke up from the hospital that he’d been shot. It’s been even harder cause I lost my girlfriend. I lost his mom,” Senudo said.

His son has also recovered from being shot in the leg.

Wednesday morning, a group of about 25 people gathered outside the Riverside County Courthouse in Indio where the hearing took place. They held signs urging the judge to return the child to his father.

The infant was placed in Child Protective Service custody because Cathedral City police said the father is a documented gang member.

“We are not criminals. We are not gangsters. We want our child back,” said the infant’s great-grandmother Irene Mora.

Inside, a judge heard from social workers and family members, and decided the infant will live with his aunt, Moises’ sister, Jenny Sanudo, 21.

No arrests have ever been made in connection with the shooting.