Trial proceedings began Friday for a Desert Hot Springs man accused in a car-to-car shooting in a Palm Desert mall parking lot almost exactly two years ago.
Daniel Joseph Santacroce was arrested in March 2023 following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation.
Santacroce is charged with four counts of attempted murder and one count each of shooting at an occupied vehicle, possession of a sawed-off shotgun and being an accessory to a felony.
During a pretrial hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta Friday, Superior Court Judge F. Paul Dickerson ruled on motions related to evidence, scheduling, witnesses and other matters. Motions were slated to continue Monday, along with a review of prospective jurors’ responses to questionnaires.
The defendant is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Benoit Detention Center in Indio.
According to sheriff’s officials, early on the afternoon of Feb. 2, 2023, patrol deputies were sent to investigate reports of shots fired at The Shops in the 72-800 block of Highway 111.
“Based on the investigation, it is believed the incident was a car-to-car, gang-related shooting, with over 40 rounds fired,” Sgt. Travis Mountz said. “Thankfully, no one was injured during the incident.”
The victims in the line of fire were identified in court documents only by their initials — “A.R.,” “M.R.,” “P.G.” and “G.R.”
Gang Impact Team investigators soon developed leads regarding the alleged perpetrators, culminating in a search warrant being served a month later in the 66000 block of San Remo in Desert Hot Springs, where they allegedly seized a shotgun, AR-15 semiautomatic rifle parts and a high-capacity magazine. Santacroce was arrested without incident at the property.
Also accused in the shooting are Adelanto residents Allen Curcio Adams Jr. and Alexander Brice Alvarado, who were charged with four counts of attempted murder and one count each of shooting at a vehicle and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The pair were charged separately from Santacroce and are scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing Wednesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Both are being held without bail at Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.