Man to stand trial for allegedly gunning down Indio resident
City News Service
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A 22-year-old man accused of gunning down an Indio resident during a confrontation outside a home must stand trial on first-degree murder and other charges, a judge ruled today.
Ruben Molina was arrested last year following an Indio Police Department investigation into the slaying of 23-year-old Carlos Arriaga.
At the end of a preliminary hearing Friday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Anthony Villalobos found there was sufficient evidence to bound Molina over for trial on the murder count, illegal possession of a firearm and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations, as well as an allegation of perpetrating a crime while on bail.
The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Sept. 18 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Molina is being held on $2 million bail at the Benoit Detention Center.
According to the Indio Police Department, in the predawn hours of Aug. 24, 2024, the defendant was involved in an unspecified confrontation with Arriaga at a property in the 80000 block of Jennifer Court, just east of Clinton Street.
During the encounter, Molina allegedly pulled a handgun and opened fire, mortally wounding the victim, police said.
A possible motive was not disclosed.
As witnesses called 911, the defendant fled the location, according to investigators.
Arriaga was taken to nearby Desert Regional Medical Center, where he died a short time later.
Detectives developed leads within a few hours pointing to Molina as the alleged shooter, and he was taken into custody without incident on Avenue 44 in Indio that morning.
He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.