The Riverside County coroner’s office has identified an octogenarian couple who were gunned down at their home in a gated community in Palm Desert.
Frank Castro, 83, and Carolina Castro, 81, were found shot to death after deputies responded to reports of gunfire shortly before 2 p.m. Sept. 11 in the 43000 block of West Calle Las Brisas, just east of Warner Trail.
Frank Scott Castro III, 32, was standing at the front of the property and taken into custody without a struggle. He faces two murder counts along with a special circumstance allegation of perpetrating multiple killings and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
Prosecutors have not yet determined whether they will pursue the death penalty against Castro, who pleaded not guilty to the charges on Friday, according to Riverside County District Attorney’s Office spokesman John Hall.
Authorities have not commented on a motive for the attack or on the defendant’s relationship to the victims.
Castro, who has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County, is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside and is due back in court on Tuesday for a felony settlement conference.