4 suspects charged in assault with deadly weapon case

8/29 Update – One suspect charged with assault with a deadly weapon to be arraigned Monday:

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has released new information detailing the events that left 18-year-old Trey O’Connor in critical condition following a house party on August 14.

Assault with a deadly weapon charges have been filed against four suspects stemming from the attack on the young man from Rancho Mirage in the early morning hours that day.

Investigators arrested 18-year-old Luis Becerra-Gomez, 18-year-old Miguel Ramirez, and 18-year-old Nickolas Hernandez; all three suspects are from La Quinta. Investigators have also arrested a fourth suspect, a juvenile, who has not been identified publicly due to his age.

According to court documents, the four suspects were attending the same party as O’Connor. The house party was located in the 100 block of Azzuro Drive.

When leaving the party, deputies said Ramirez allegedly threw a water bottle at a group standing outside of the party. Becerra was driving a Nissan truck with the other three suspects riding along. They got to the gate in the country club but couldn’t exit, so Becerra turned the truck around, driving back toward the party, according to court records.

The party-goers, along with O’Connor, were outraged at the bottle-throwing incident, and when the truck passed the house, the group allegedly threw beer bottles and rocks at the Nissan, damaging the truck.

Court documents state that Becerra was angry about his truck being damaged, and the suspects gathered two large rocks and drove back toward the crowd. That’s when Hernandez and the juvenile allegedly threw the large rocks while the truck was traveling about 40 miles per hour.

One of the rocks, allegedly thrown by the juvenile, struck O’Connor in the head, sending him to the hospital in critical condition. He was placed in a medically-induced coma but his family said he is now out of the coma, and has shown limited responsive behavior.

Authorities said 18-year-old Miguel Angel Ramirez will make his initial appearance at the Larson Justice Center in Indio Monday afternoon. His co-defendants, including Luis Becerra-Gomez and Nickolas Hernandez, are currently free on bail and are not scheduled to appear.

We’re waiting for authorities to release more information about the juvenile suspect accused of throwing the rock which hospitalized O’Connor.

Reported hit & run crash renders 18-year-old Trey O’Connor comatose

According to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, officers from the Palm Desert Police Department received a report of a hit and run collision in the 100 block of Azzuro Drive on Sunday, August 14 at 2:39 a.m.

They responded to the scene and located 18-year old Trey O’Connor, who sustained serious injuries and was transported to the hospital where he remained in critical condition.

During the course of the investigation, detectives determined the incident was an assault with a deadly weapon. Investigators arrested 18-year-old Luis Becerra-Gomez, 18-year-old Miguel Ramirez, and 18-year-old Nickolas Hernandez; all three suspects are from La Quinta. Investigators have also identified a fourth suspect, a juvenile, who has not been identified publicly as he is under age.

Becerra-Gomez, Ramirez, and Hernandez were booked into the Indio Jail for assault with a deadly weapon but both were freed on bail.

Trey O’Connor’s family tells KESQ and CBS Local 2 that Trey is now out of the coma, and has shown limited responsive behavior.

“I stayed at the hospital last night, and he made some real progress, said Richard O’Connor. “He reacted to a command and squeezed my hand, which was just unbelievable.”

He’s been battling at Desert Regional Medical Center ever since the assault, which occurred at about 3 a.m. in the 100 block of Azzuro Drive near the Palm Desert Resort Country Club.

“My son, he’s 18 years old, he was getting ready to go to college, and over absolutely nothing, nothing,” O’Connor said. This wasn’t over a football game,a fight, it wasn’t over anything. They just randomly decided to throw a rock and hit him in the head, and now his life is forever changed, and so are theirs.”

His family has set up a Go Fund Me account to help with Trey’s medical costs. Meanwhile, they ask anyone who has information about the attack to come forward and contact police.

Trey O’Connor battling at hospital after being assaulted at party