A 21-year-old man from Desert Hot Springs, David Anthony William Garcia, pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. Garcia is accused of shooting at and pistol-whipping an 18-year-old customer at a Dollar Tree in Cathedral City.
The charges against Garcia include two felony counts of attempted murder and one felony count of assault with a gun. Leah Lelani Lopez, an 18-year-old from San Jacinto, also faced charges related to the confrontation.
Following the consolidation of their cases, Garcia and Lopez both pleaded not guilty to the charges. Lopez is facing one felony count each of attempted murder and assault on a person causing great bodily injury, along with an allegation of being armed with a firearm.
The incident occurred on June 4, around 3:30 p.m., when Garcia confronted a Cathedral City resident in the store. He brandished a firearm, leading to a physical altercation between him and the victim. Additional women allegedly assisted Garcia during the fight.
Sgt. Jeffrey Barnett of the Cathedral City Police Department stated that after fighting over the gun for a few minutes, a stalemate was reached, and an agreement was made to stop fighting. However, Garcia retrieved his gun and attempted to shoot the victim at point blank range.
Initially, the gun malfunctioned, and a struggle ensued over a fallen magazine. During the scuffle, the victim was pistol-whipped in the head and ran out of the store. Garcia followed and fired several shots, striking the victim.
The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to fully recover, according to CCPD Sgt. Nate Hanley.
Garcia and Lopez were later identified as the suspects in the confrontation and shooting. Lopez was arrested on June 4 and is currently held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, with bail set at $1 million. Garcia was arrested on June 15 and is held at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta, with bail set at $110,000.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact CCPD Det. Sgt. Nate Hanley or Coachella Valley Crime Stoppers.
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