A 25-year-old man suspected in a fatal Blythe shooting was held to answer Thursday for charges including murder.
A judge ruled Thursday at the Blythe Courthouse that local resident Efren Ezequiel Magana must stand trial for one felony count each of murder and being a convicted felon and narcotic addict in possession of a firearm, according to court records. He also faces a sentence-enhancing allegation of discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury.
The defendant is due back in court for a post-preliminary hearing arraignment on March 21 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Officers responded at around 12:15 a.m. March 26, 2024 to a report of shots fired in the 500 block of South Third Street, according to the Blythe Police Department. An injured man was found at the scene and taken to a hospital, where he died, police said.
Magana was identified as the suspect based on evidence and witness statements, according to police. Following several search warrants, Magana was eventually found and taken into custody without incident.
He was being held at Blythe Jail on $1 million bail, according to inmate records.