Two suspects charged with murder in downtown Palm Springs shooting
Two of the three suspects arrested in connection with a deadly robbery at a Palm Springs parking structure were officially charged with murder.
Cathedral City resident Eliberto Jesus Genera III, 23, and Palm Springs resident Jorge Adan Maciel III, 20, were each charged with murder on Wednesday.
Maciel was also charged with an assault with a firearm as well as a gang enhancement.
Both men are expected to be arraigned later today at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
A third suspect originally arrested in the case was not charged as of Wednesday morning. The DA's office said the investigation remains ongoing.
The deadly robbery happened on Friday at around 10:30 p.m. at a downtown parking structure on the 200 block of South Indian Canyon Drive.
Police were first notified of the shooting by a hospital after a gunshot victim had arrived. The victim, who was pronounced dead at the hospital, was identified as Adam Ortega, 31, of Desert Hot Springs.
Officers interviewed Ortega's friends who had transported him to the hospital. During the investigation back at the original crime scene, officers were able to identify the suspect, Jorge Maciel. PSPD Chief Andy Mills added that gang detectives knew the suspect.
Officers and detectives conducted surveillance at a related address and observed Maciel leaving the location with two other men in a vehicle. Police attempted a traffic stop but Maciel tried to flee on foot, leading to a pursuit. Mills said a police K9 unit was able to tackle Maciel into a cactus.
(Courtesy of PSPD Chief Andy Mills)
The other two men in the vehicle, which included Genera, were also detained.
Further investigation led officers to believe that the incident stemmed from an attempted robbery.
Palm Springs Police Department Detective Bureau continues to investigate the case. Anyone with information related to the incident was encouraged to contact Detective Escallada at 760-323-8129 or Crime Stoppers at 760-341-7867.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates on this case.
