Adam Ortega, 31, was fatally shot during an attempted robbery in a downtown Palm Springs parking structure on the 200 block of South Indian Canyon Drive on the night of July 26, 2024. Friends took Ortega to Desert Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead early the next morning; the Palm Springs Police Department was notified by the hospital shortly after 10 p.m. and opened an investigation.

Police identified 20-year-old Jorge Adan Maciel III of Palm Springs as a primary suspect after surveillance tracked him leaving a related location with two 23-year-old men from Cathedral City. A traffic stop led to Maciel attempting to flee on foot; he was caught with K-9 assistance. The two accompanying men, including Eliberto Jesus Genera III, were also detained. Prosecutors charged Maciel and Genera on July 31, 2024 with felony murder and special circumstances of attempted robbery and criminal street gang association; Maciel faces additional firearm- and possession-related charges and enhancements. Bail was set at $1 million each and arraignment was scheduled at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. The investigation is ongoing; anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Escallada or submit anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers.