Desert Hot Springs man accused of killing his children’s mother charged with murder
Murder and other felony charges were filed today against a man suspected of gunning down the 24-year-old mother of his children in Desert Hot Springs.
Jesse Rico Valenzuela, 28, of Desert Hot Springs was arrested Sunday, a day after officers were called to 66789 Eighth Street and found Amina Duro of Desert Hot Springs fatally wounded.
Details: Arrest made in deadly weekend shooting in Desert Hot Springs
Along with murder, the defendant is charged with two felony counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, along with one misdemeanor count each of resisting arrest, evading police in a vehicle, and violating a court order.
Valenzuela remains in custody at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside in lieu of $1 million bail and is slated to be arraigned Friday via video conference before a judge at the Banning Justice Center.
Officers were sent to the Eighth Street address last Saturday about 7 p.m. to a report of a gunshot victim. Arriving officers found the victim suffering from a single gunshot wound, and pronounced her dead at the scene about 30 minutes later, according to coroner's officials.
Family has started a GoFundMe raising money for the mother who was killed in the shooting
Additional details about the shooting have not been released, although police have confirmed the suspect and victim had children together, according to Desert Hot Springs Deputy Chief Steven Shaw.
Shaw said Valenzuela violated a court order barring him from coming into contact with the victim during the alleged shooting.
A possible motive for the deadly shooting has not been disclosed.
The defendant has an unresolved misdemeanor case pending from last year involving allegations he violated a court order and committing spousal abuse. He was additionally on probation at the time of his arrest stemming from a 2018 felony spousal abuse conviction, court records show. It was not immediately clear either of the cases involved the same woman.
Valenzuela has other felony convictions for burglary and carrying a concealed dirk or dagger.
