21-year-old man sentenced for role in Palm Desert shooting

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) - A 21-year-old man was sentenced for his role in a Palm Desert shooting.

Jorge Arturo Morales of Cathedral City pleaded guilty to attempted murder, assault with a gun, and stalking charges. He was immediately sentenced to 14 years and 8 months in prison.

Morales was arrested along with Jaden Xavier Garcia in connection with a shooting on 45300 block of Garden Square in Palm Desert.

In May 2024, Garcia pleaded guilty to a felony assault charge and admitted to an armed with a firearm enhancement. He was sentenced to 24 months of probation.

The pair were accused of assaulting two people in Palm Desert, one of whom suffered a gunshot wound to his face.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, a pair of victims were allegedly followed by Morales and Garcia, whom they both knew.  

"One victim was struck multiple times and sustained a single gunshot wound to his face,'' Milbrandt said in a statement. "He was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other victim, who was uninjured, had allegedly been stalked by Morales for several weeks before the assault."  

Morales and Garcia were apprehended in the 68700 block of 33rd Avenue in Cathedral City by Palm Desert sheriff's station deputies, the Palm Desert Investigations Bureau, the Palm Desert Burglary Suppression Unit and the Desert Regional SWAT after allegedly attempting to flee a residence, according to Milbrandt.