Man arrested over 1 year after allegedly murdering DHS woman
We finally have more information to report about a year-long investigation into the shooting death of a Desert Hot Springs woman in April of 2015.
The Desert Hot Springs Police Department announced Tuesday morning that 23-year-old Jesus Garza of Desert Hot Springs was recently arrested and formally charged for the murder of 31-year-old Maria Isabel Duarte.
Officers said Garza was arraigned for her murder on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. He was arrested for her murder while in custody at the Corcoran State Prison on an unrelated charge, according to jail records.
Garza’s being held on $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside for felony murder with malice, according to jail records.
Duarte was found unresponsive in the area of Palm Drive and Pierson Boulevard at 2:53 a.m. on Sunday, April 12, 2015. Officers said she had been shot one time in her upper torso and was lying on the sidewalk when they arrived.
Duarte was rushed to Desert Regional Medical Center where she later died.
DHSPD detectives interviewed several witnesses connected to the investigation which led them to Garza, according to the release. The case was filed with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office in Indio, and Garza was formally charged for Duarte’s murder.
According to jail records, Garza’s next court appearance will be at the Larson Justice Center in Indio on Thursday, June 23. KESQ and CBS Local 2 will continue to keep you updated as Garza’s case moves through court.
After Maria Duarte’s murder, the Desert Hot Springs Police Department called for a special meeting on recent violent crime in the city, as she was the fifth homicide victim at that time in 2015.
