Man charged with Palm Springs murder, kidnapping

Murder and other charges were filed today against a Cathedral City man accused of gunning down a Palm Springs man and then kidnapping two women.

Chad Patrick Barrera, 31, is suspected of killing 36-year-old Ryan Potts, who was found shot to death shortly before 2 a.m. Friday in an apartment in the 300 block of West Mariscal Road.

After the shooting, Barrera allegedly kidnapped two women, ages 24 and 21, and got into a traffic collision near Interstate 10 and Date Palm Drive, Palm Springs police Sgt. Mike Kovaleff said.

Barrera is charged with murder, kidnapping, carjacking, injury DUI with blood alcohol level over .10, being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, all felonies.

He was scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Kovaleff said Barrera was initially taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence and later arrested on suspicion of murder and kidnapping. The California Highway Patrol learned about the murder during the crash investigation and told police, who found the victim. Police found out about the kidnappings after they started investigating, Kovaleff said.

Barrera, Potts and the two women knew each other, the sergeant said, but did not elaborate. Police were withholding the women’s names and were not disclosing a motive for the shooting or abductions, but said there were no other suspects.

Barrera was being held without bail at the county jail in Indio.