Two young men were arrested in Las Vegas on suspicion of a murder near Mission Springs Park in Desert Hot Springs last month, police said Thursday.
Emanuel Castaneda and Carlos Hernandez, both 18, were arrested Tuesday in that city, where they reside, on suspicion of murder and robbery, according to the Desert Hot Springs Police Department.
Castaneda was officially charged Jan. 10 with one felony count each of murder and robbery, according to court records. No felony charges were immediately filed in Riverside County against Hernandez.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Detectives and Criminal Apprehension Team worked with DHSPD Detectives in the early morning hours of Tuesday to serve arrest warrants at two locations in Las Vegas, police said. At the conclusion of the warrants, Castaneda and Hernandez were taken into custody without incident.
They remain held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail, according to police.
On Dec. 17, 2023, at around 7:02 p.m., officers responded to a report of gunshots in the area of 66700 block of Park Lane, according to police. Upon arrival, officers found a man with gunshot wounds.
“Officers provided medical care until CalFire and AMR paramedics arrived and transported the victim to the hospital,” police wrote in a statement. “Despite lifesaving measures, tragically, the victim succumbed to his injuries.”
The victim, identified as Matthew Rios, was taken to the Desert Regional Medical Center in critical condition with gunshot wounds, according to a declaration in support of Castaneda’s arrest warrant filed by DHSPD Detective C. James. He noted that, at the scene, there was numerous spent cartridge cases and Rios’ blood in front of the restrooms.
After being notified that the victim was pronounced dead at 8:40 p.m., James said that a small black pocketknife with blood on the blade was located in Rios’ pants pocket.
James added that, based on photos in Rios’ phone, he saw that the victim had a pair of Beats headphones and an imitation diamond necklace just before the shooting, and that it was apparent that those items were robbed from him during the murder.
On Dec. 28, 2023, detectives received a call from LSVPD, who said that someone had come forward with information about Castaneda having visited the Palm Springs area on the weekend of the murder and that when he returned he had a stab wound to his torso and said he shot and killed someone, but refused to contact the police or seek medical attention, according to James.
The detective said that he was also provided with the suspect’s phone number and based on his cell phone GPS locations, he was found to have been around the park at the time of the shooting, as well as him leaving Desert Hot Springs and going back to Las Vegas just after the shooting, James wrote.
Anyone with information on the fatal shooting was asked to call Detective Chris James at 760-329-2904, ext. 351, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 760-341-7867 (STOP).