David Joaquin Murrieta, a 20-year-old resident of Desert Hot Springs, California, was tragically found dead on January 21, 2021. His remains were discovered in an open area on the southeast corner of Mission Lakes Boulevard and Little Morongo Road in Desert Hot Springs. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department had been investigating a missing person case when they stumbled upon Murrieta's body, which was buried in a shallow grave under a set of metal springs.
The autopsy revealed that Murrieta had suffered three gunshot wounds: one entering from the back of his head, one from the left side of his head, and one from the right side of his chin.
The investigation led to the arrest of Jose Manuel Angel Arellano, a 21-year-old man from La Quinta. Arellano was apprehended on February 17, 2021, after he drove from Tijuana, Mexico, to the Palm Desert sheriff's station to share his account of the events. According to Arellano, he, Murrieta, and another individual named Gabriel "Vago" Magdaleno were together on January 14, 2021, the day of the murder. Arellano claimed that while he was driving on Interstate 10 near Cook Street, an argument broke out between Murrieta and Magdaleno, both of whom were armed. Arellano alleged that Magdaleno felt disrespected and subsequently shot Murrieta once in the back of the head and twice more after the initial shot.
Following the shooting, Arellano and Magdaleno buried Murrieta's body in the desert. Arellano then went to a house on Sixth Street to burn his clothes before fleeing to Mexico. Arellano was charged with murder and held on $1 million bail at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio. During his preliminary hearing, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Edward Forstenzer found sufficient evidence to proceed with a trial. Arellano's arraignment was scheduled for February 16, 2023.
Gabriel Magdaleno, who was also implicated in the case, was arrested on December 13, 2022, and charged separately with murder and a sentence-enhancing allegation of discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury. He remains held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on $1 million bail. The case against both Arellano and Magdaleno is ongoing, with further legal proceedings expected as the investigation continues.
