Indio murder suspect arrested in Imperial Beach

A man was arrested in Imperial Beach early Saturday in connection with the suspicious death of a 72-year-old watchman at an abandoned restaurant in the Coachella Valley.

Indio police detectives served a search warrant at a home in Imperial Beach at about 3:45 a.m. and took Joseph Robert Gentile, 59, into custody for allegedly killing Guillermo “William” Saavedra, whose body was found Monday at a vacant restaurant on Town Street in Indio, 90 miles northeast of San Diego.

Saavedra was a caretaker at the now-defunct business. Saavedra’s body showed no obvious signs of trauma but Riverside County Coroner’s authorities ruled his death a homicide, Indio police Sgt. Dan Marshall said.

A four-day investigation lead Indio detectives to the Imperial Beach home Friday night. Gentile had prior run-ins with Indio police for misdemeanor offenses but Marshall said he was unsure what they were.

Gentile was expected to be booked for suspicion of murder Saturday, Marshall said.