Third suspect in alleged Cathedral City kidnapping arrested

A third man accused of holding a man against his will and beating him with a wooden paddle over several days in Cathedral City was arrested today, police said.

The man, identified as a 30-year-old from Indio, was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on suspicion of kidnapping, torture, false imprisonment and assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Cathedral City Police
Department.

Jail records reflected the man's arrest, but did not include bail and future court date information.

Police dispatchers received a 911 call on June 1 from a 36-year-old resident who said he had been "beaten, zip-tied and held against his will for days," according to police. The victim -- identified in court papers only as "Matthew H." -- led officers to the 37000 block of Bankside Drive, where unspecified evidence was collected that backed up his claim, according to Sgt. Larry Sanfillippo.

Two suspects -- Carlos Jose Espinoza, 30, and Eduardo Luis Espinoza, 32, both of Cathedral City -- were arrested the day of the report without incident, according to police, who did not release a motive or any other details of the alleged crime.

Police later identified the third suspect after a witness claimed another man was seen fleeing the scene. The man was detained after "many hours of in-depth follow-up" and interviewed by detectives, police said.

"As a result of that interview and the totality of the investigation, he was arrested," according to a police statement.
Carlos Espinoza and Eduardo Espinoza -- who are brothers -- were each 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 was additionally charged with one felony count each of robbery, criminal threats and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

They pleaded not guilty and remain in custody on $1 million bail with a felony settlement conference scheduled for June 15 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Eduardo Espinoza has felony convictions, including for grand theft. Carlos Espinoza has no documented felony convictions in Riverside County.

The third suspect has a felony conviction for receiving stolen property.

As part of station policy, we do not publish a suspect's name or photo until they are officially charged by the District Attorney's office.

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