Month: May 2025

City News Service

MURRIETA, Calif. (KESQ) – Pretrial motions got underway today ahead of jury selection for the trial of a man accused of gunning down a 17-year-old Cathedral City boy in a car-to-car shooting.

Juan Alfredo Landeros Garcia, 24, of Cathedral City is charged with first-degree murder, shooting at an occupied vehicle and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations for the 2020 slaying of Isaiah Guerra.   

Garcia’s case was transferred Monday from the Larson Justice Center in Indio to the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, where a courtroom was available for trial proceedings.

On Tuesday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Johnnetta Anderson received motions from the prosecution and defense regarding evidence, witnesses, scheduling and related matters. Jury selection was expected to start before the end of the week.

Garcia is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center.  

According to the Cathedral City Police Department, shortly before 8 p.m. on April 4, 2020, Guerra was driving in the area of Avenida Alvera and McCallum Way when he was allegedly targeted by the defendant, for reasons that were not disclosed by police.

Garcia fired more than a dozen rounds from a semiautomatic firearm while in another vehicle, investigators alleged.   

The victim was struck 11 times, causing him to crash into palm trees. The defendant allegedly sped away from the location as witnesses called 911.   

Patrol officers and paramedics arrived minutes later and discovered Guerra slumped over the wheel of his car. He was gravely wounded but still showing signs of life, prompting first responders to attempt resuscitative measures that were unsuccessful; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives procured videotape from security surveillance cameras mounted on several homes near the intersection, enabling them to piece together what happened and identify the vehicle from which the shots were fired, according to the prosecution.

Garcia was identified as the alleged perpetrator, and an arrest warrant was served on him two days later on Modalo Road, where he was taken into custody without incident.

He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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Jesus Reyes

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ) – The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office honored two deputies who died in separate incidents 20 years apart in the line of duty.

Deputy Bruce K. Lee was killed in La Quinta on May 13, 2003, while responding to a disturbing the peace call. Lee attempted to question and reason with a mentally disturbed man, however, a physical encounter ensued, and the man was able to secure Lee’s police baton. He inflicted severe blows to the deputy’s head and neck, resulting in massive trauma.

A 22-year veteran of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, Lee was assigned to Indio Station. His wife of nine years, mother, father and sister survived him.

In December 2005, the city of La Quinta dedicated a section of Highway 111 that runs through the city and placed the signs named “Deputy Bruce Lee Memorial Highway.”

Deputy Brett Harris, 26, was killed in an on-duty crash in San Jacinto while responding to a call for service. He suffered major injuries, including a catastrophic brain injury, from the crash, Sheriff Chad Bianco said. He was pronounced dead the following day, May 13.

According to Officer Jason Montez of the California Highway Patrol, the deputy was traveling westbound in his marked sheriff’s SUV and entered the intersection at the same time as a Nissan Maxima going north.

 “The two vehicles crashed in the intersection, which is controlled by traffic lights,” Montez said. “After the collision, the sheriff’s patrol vehicle crashed into a light pole.”

Harris was assigned to the Hemet’s Sheriff’s Station. He is survived his wife, mother and father, twin sister, and brother.

Sheriff Chad Bianco said Harris’ organs were donated, “In a final act of Service Above Self,” as per his wishes.

The Hemet Sheriff’s Station held a ceremony on Tuesday.

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