A 19-year-old man was arrested Monday on suspicion of a fatal shooting in Desert Hot Springs, authorities said.
Officers responding to a shooting call at 10:13 p.m. Sunday found a man suffering from at least one gunshot wound in the 12200 block of Palm Drive. Despite life-saving measures which were initiated by arriving officers, the victim died at the scene, according to police.
Detectives “quickly gathered investigative leads” which led to the arrest of Matthew Gallegos of Desert of Springs, who was booked Monday morning on suspicion of murder, according to a police statement.
The identify of the victim was being withheld pending notification of his family.
The shooting came six days after another man was shot to death about a half-mile away in the 66200 block of Estrella Avenue. The coroner’s office was asked by the Desert Hot Springs Police Department not to release any information regarding the case, including the name of the victim, Deputy Coroner M. Yturralez said.
When asked if the two shootings were thought to be connected, Assistant City Manager Doria Wilms told City News Service that police were investigating “all angles” but would not publicly comment on whether there was a link between the killings.