Cathedral City brothers charged with false imprisonment, assault of 36-year-old man

Felony charges were filed today against two brothers accused of holding a man against his will and beating him with a wooden paddle over several days in Cathedral City.

Carlos Jose Espinoza, 30, and Eduardo Luis Espinoza, 32, both of Cathedral City, were arrested Tuesday. They remain behind bars awaiting their initial court appearances, scheduled for Friday afternoon at the Banning
Justice Center.

Both men are charged with one count of false imprisonment and two counts of assault on a person causing great bodily injury, along with sentence-enhancing allegations of using a weapon -- a wooden paddle -- during the
commission of a felony.

Eduardo Espinoza is additionally charged with one felony count each of robbery, criminal threats and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Police dispatchers received a 911 call Tuesday from a man who said he had been "beaten, zip-tied and held against his will for days," according to the Cathedral City Police Department.

The victim is only identified in court papers as "Matthew H." He is a 36-year-old Cathedral City resident, police said.

Sgt. Larry Sanfillippo said the victim led officers to the 37000 block of Bankside Drive, where unspecified evidence was collected that backed up his claim.

The two suspects were later taken into custody without incident, according to police, who did not release a motive or any other details of the crime.

Eduardo Espinoza has felony convictions including grand theft.

Carlos Espinoza has no documented felony convictions in Riverside County.