Trial date set for 45-year-old accused in Indio bar shooting

A judge confirmed an upcoming trial date today for a 45-year-old man accused of shooting two Indio bar patrons during an altercation.   

Jose Gabino Ulloa of La Quinta was arrested last year following an Indio Police Department investigation. At the end of a preliminary hearing in April, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Anthony Villalobos found sufficient evidence to bound Ulloa over for trial on the attempted murder counts, as well as sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.   

Ulloa's trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 16, 2025 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to case records.   

The defendant is being held on $1 million bail at the nearby Benoit Detention Center.

Indio police alleged in a statement that the attack happened about 11:45 p.m. on Feb. 15, 2023, at Neil's Lounge in the 80-900 block of Highway 111.

"While police officers were en route to the call, additional information was received that advised an individual was suffering from a gunshot wound,'' the statement read.

Authorities said that one man was critically wounded and another victim suffered wounds that were not specified in court documents.   

The parties were taken to a Coachella Valley hospital. They have since recovered.

Indio police said patrons and staff from the bar stopped Ulloa from leaving and disarmed him prior to patrol officers reaching the location, after which he was arrested without incident.

Potential motives behind the alleged shooting were not disclosed.   

Ulloa has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.