Trial date set for Cathedral City man accused of killing roommate, pet cats

A trial date was confirmed today for a 41-year-old man accused of killing his roommate and his pet cats in their Cathedral City apartment.

Joseph Ortega was initially accused after his roommate, Jova Saint Ives Geller, was found dead in the residence, as well as Geller's two pet cats, according to police. The defendant initially pleaded not guilty to a murder charge and two cruelty to animals charges on Nov. 3, 2022.

At the end of a preliminary hearing on April 12, Riverside County Superior Court Judge James Stafford ruled that there was sufficient evidence to hold Ortega to answer on the murder charge, but discharged the other counts.   

His trial is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2025, according to case records.   

In the meantime, he remains in custody at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside with bail set at $1 million.

According to the Cathedral City Police Department, shortly after 10 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2022, officers were called to the Pickfair Apartments at 36700 Pickfair St., near Monty Hall Drive, to investigate reports of a man down.   

Police said Geller was located inside an apartment with obvious trauma to his head and neck. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Cathedral City Fire Department paramedics.

Geller's two cats were also found dead in the residence. The means of the pets' death was not specified.

Ortega was detained in the apartment without incident and questioned by homicide detectives, culminating in his being arrested without incident two hours later.

A possible motive for the deaths was not disclosed.   

Ortega has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.