In 2021, a 30-year-old man was charged with murder in Desert Hot Springs. The prosecutor claimed that the motive behind the fatal shooting was irrational jealousy. On the other hand, the defendant’s attorney argued that one of the witnesses lied to falsely incriminate the defendant.
The accused, Daniel Ray Martinez, faces charges of murder and illegal possession of a firearm as a felon and narcotic addict. Additionally, there is an allegation that he caused great bodily harm by discharging a firearm. His co-defendant, Jesus Gabriel Pena, is charged as an accessory for deleting evidence.
The charges stem from the September 8, 2021 shooting of Javier “Happy” Torres. During closing arguments at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, Deputy District Attorney Samantha Paixao claimed that Martinez harbored resentment towards Torres due to his past relationship with the defendant’s girlfriend. Paixao stated that when Martinez discovered that Torres and his girlfriend were both at their friend Jonathan Berry’s house, he drove there, broke in, shot Torres three times, and fled.
Paixao emphasized that Martinez’s belief that Torres and his girlfriend were together in the same room was merely a fabrication. She also pointed out that Pena confessed to using surveillance footage from the house to monitor the girlfriend’s activities. Paixao argued that Pena’s guilt is evident from his certainty of not appearing in any video footage and his stumbling over words when questioned directly. According to Paixao, Pena dropped off Torres at the fire department, where he eventually succumbed to his gunshot wounds.
In her closing argument, Paixao urged the jurors to find Martinez guilty of first-degree murder and Pena guilty of tampering with video surveillance footage.
On the other side, Martinez’s defense attorney, Andrea Bouchard, disputed the credibility of Berry’s testimony. Bouchard pointed out that Berry had an immunity agreement and had a personal interest in sticking to his statement to avoid charges himself. Bouchard highlighted the inconsistencies in the facts and urged the jurors to carefully examine the evidence and find her client not guilty.
Pena’s defense attorney, Alexander Reed, argued that there was no motive for his client to protect Martinez, as there was no evidence linking them as friends. Reed also criticized the investigation for lacking thoroughness in proving Pena’s involvement in manipulating the surveillance system.
The jurors have started deliberating the case as of Wednesday afternoon. Martinez remains in custody at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on a $1.05 million bail.
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