Monique Vega, 26, of Val Verde, California, was found dead on October 23, 2022, in a casita attached to a residence on Avenue 52 in Coachella. She was one of two victims discovered there; the other was identified as 23-year-old Hector Ramos of La Quinta. Both victims suffered significant trauma consistent with a violent death.

Monique had recently moved into the home and was setting up the place for her two daughters, a 10-year-old and a 10-month-old. Her mother, Yolanda Vega, described the family’s heartbreak. Investigators from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, working with the Colma Police Department, later arrested 22-year-old Daniel Torres Cerda in Redwood City. He was charged with two counts of murder, possession of an assault weapon, and taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and was being held without bail at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

Anyone who knew Monique or has information about the events in Coachella on October 23, 2022, is asked to come forward.