An 18-year-old man arrested with a juvenile on suspicion of fatally shooting a man in Coachella is scheduled to make an initial court appearance Thursday.
Gael Silva is expected to enter pleas to felony counts of murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm during an arraignment Thursday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to case records.
In a separate case, Silva pleaded guilty in September to a felony charge of carrying a loaded firearm without being the registered owner, for which he received a sentence including 24 months of probation, according to case records. A felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon inside a vehicle was dismissed.
Deputies from the Central Homicide Unit, with assistance from the Major Crime Unit and the Thermal Station Coachella Community Action Team, located and arrested Silva and a 17-year-old male suspect, according to a statement Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Silva was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of murder, while the 17-year-old was booked into juvenile hall.
The department’s statement claimed that the two suspects were arrested Tuesday in the Coachella area, which conflicts with inmate and case records data indicating Silva was arrested and booked Monday afternoon.
The juvenile suspect’s name was not released because of his age.
On Oct. 12, deputies responded to the 51800 block of Shady Lane shortly after 3:20 a.m. to reports regarding shots fired.
“Upon arrival, deputies located a deceased male suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Responding deputies secured the scene with crime scene tape and closed the area to all vehicle and foot traffic,” sheriff’s officials said in a statement.
Investigators later identified the victim as 44-year-old Roman Gamboa, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding the case was encouraged to contact Central Homicide Investigator Ortiz at 951-955-2777 or Thermal Station Investigator Glasper at 760-863-8990.