Family speaks out after man and unborn child killed in shooting
A family is demanding justice after a soon to be father and and his unborn son were shot to death over the weekend.
38-year-old David Chavez made a pine cone Christmas tree by hand. He made it for his first child, David Chavez Junior, who was due to be born in about two weeks.
On Saturday night David and his unborn son where shot to death. The mother carrying David Jr. is in the hospital recovering.
“David was caring, David loved life, David loved the life he had, David loved to work, to be involved, if you ask David to do something he would stop what he was doing and get up and do it,” said a family member who didn’t want their identity shared.
Cathedral City police step up patrol after double homicide
According to family, David was driving with the family near Candy Cane Lane in Cathedral City when a driver from behind was honking and trying to get around.
Once he did, the driver a of what looked like a late 1990s dark-colored 2-door SUV, similar to a Chevy Blazer got out of the truck and started shooting.
There were three other small children in the back seat of David’s car. They weren’t hurt.
Since the shooter is still on the loose, the family asked KESQ not to show their faces or use their names.
The shooter was described as a bald Hispanic man in his 30s, 5-foot-7-inches tall and 200 pounds, with a mustache and goatee. He was last seen wearing a grey shirt and blue denim shorts while running south through the desert area near Date Palm Drive and Tortuga Road.
“There’s a monster out there who will do that in front of children, how can you do that?! I just want him caught I just want him off the street,” said the family member.
Now the homemade pine cone Christmas tree is left as a memorial for a family destroyed by senseless violence.
“She (the mother) just finished washing his (David Jr.’s) clothes she had his diaper bag packed and this person just stole that from us, stole that from our family, stole that from her,” said the family member.
The Simmons family, widely known for its Dancing Christmas Lights Show at 68000 Estio Road, located close to Candy Cane Lane in Cathedral City, is offering a $1,000 reward for anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of the shooter(s).
“Our hearts and prayers goes out to all of the families who have been affected by this tragedy,” says Michael A. Simmons. The shooting occurred about an hour after the Simmons Family finished holding its annual “Visit from Santa Claus” event at the Simmons home, where thousands of local families attend each year. Simmons added, “We hope that by starting this reward and getting others to follow suit will prompt someone to come forward with information to help the Cathedral City Police Department solve this case. There are people who know who committed this act and [we] ask that you please come forward now.”
David Chavez was the main bread winner for the family, they have set up a fund for funeral donations.
If you have any information about this case you are asked by Cathedral City police to call them at (760) 770-0300.
