Woman Accused in August Homicide at Cathedral City Park Due in Court
Woman Accused in August Homicide at Cathedral City Park Due in Court
by Contributing Editor
One of three people accused in the killing of a 29-year-old man found fatally injured in a Cathedral City park last month is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on a murder charge.
Rena Lizette Alaniz of Thousand Palms was arrested Friday, and Andres Moreno of Cathedral City and Carlos Anthony Ruiz of La Quinta were taken into custody Saturday, in connection with the death of Ruben Argentis Mujica of Palm Desert on Aug. 6, according to Cathedral City Police Department Cmdr. Paul Herrera.
Along with the murder count, Ruiz, 40, who is Alaniz’s father, also faces a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, making him eligible for the death penalty if prosecutors opt to pursue it.
Alaniz, 20, is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon via video conference before a judge at the Banning Justice Center. Arraignment is set for Moreno, 18, and Ruiz on Thursday, court records show.
According to Herrera, officers were sent to Century Park on Davall Drive at about 9:20 p.m. on Aug. 6 in response to a report of a fight and found a man suffering from life-threatening injuries. The man, later identified as Mujica, was rushed to an area hospital, where he died.
After taking over the case, homicide detectives began honing in on the father-daughter duo of Ruiz and Alaniz, who were identified as being primarily responsible for the homicide, according to police, who did not specify a motive in the killing or whether a weapon was used.
“Through a very detailed and thorough investigation, Cathedral City detectives linked the victim to the suspects through various types of evidence and statements,” according to a police statement.
Ruiz is a convicted felon who was on parole at the time of his arrest, police said. He was convicted in 2004 of voluntary manslaughter in Riverside County, court records show. He also has three felony burglary convictions.
The other two defendants do not have any documented felony convictions in Riverside County.
All three defendants remain behind bars in lieu of $1 million bail, according to jail records.
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All credit goes to Contributing Editor
Originally published on https://mynewsla.com
