80-year-old holocaust survivor identified as man murdered in Palm Springs

Update 09/08/21

An arrest has been made in the murder of Joseph Rajczi.

Police connected a man who they say killed Rajczi in July and another Palm Springs woman in January.

Full Details: Man arrested in connection with two separate Palm Springs murders

Original Report - 08/11/21:

The Riverside County coroner's office has identified a holocaust survivor who was found dead in a Palm Springs home late last month.

Joseph Rajczi, 80, was found dead at approximately 10:25 p.m. in a home on Via Colusa near Hermosa Drive on July 30, 2021.

At first, police said they considered the death an unattended death, however, over the weekend, investigators ruled Rajczi's death as a homicide. Details on the homicide remain limited, Palm Springs police detectives are continuing their investigation.

A local business owner told News Channel 3 that Rajczi was a holocaust survivor and the owner of Best For Less, a women's clothing store that was once open in downtown Palm Springs. Rajczi had just recently sold the store after 20 years and retired.

Rajczi's death was a shock to residents of the neighborhood.

"It's very disconcerting, it's very scary to know that something like this is happening in the neighborhood," Richard Khanbegian, a neighbor, told News Channel 3 on Sunday.

The murder marks the sixth homicide for Palm Springs this year, which is up from a total of five homicides in 2020.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates