Parolee Accused in Desert Hot Springs Hammer Slaying Pleads Not Guilty

Parolee Accused in Desert Hot Springs Hammer Slaying Pleads Not Guilty

by Contributing Editor

A parolee accused of bludgeoning a woman to death with a hammer in Desert Hot Springs pleaded not guilty Monday to murder and other felony charges.

Joseph Cantu Montanez, 41, of Desert Hot Springs was arrested Jan. 4 on suspicion of killing 39-year-old Andrea Reyes, who was found dead at her home two days after Christmas.

Montanez was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Harold Hopp, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Jan. 22 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Montanez is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.

Along with the murder count, Montanez is charged with attempted murder involving a victim identified in court papers only as “Corina C” and faces a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a weapon — a hammer — during the commission of a murder.

According to the criminal complaint, the attempted murder occurred on the same day Reyes was killed, but no details have been released about the crime.

Officers were sent a house located in the 15600 block of Palm Drive to conduct a welfare check on Dec. 27 and discovered Reyes dead inside at 2:30 p.m., according to the Desert Hot Springs Police Department.

Detectives then “obtained information” that pinpointed Montanez as a suspect and arrested him on Jan. 4, police said, but did not elaborate.

Montanez had an active warrant out for his arrest for an alleged parole violation from October, and court records also show he has felony convictions in Riverside County for robbery, false imprisonment and vehicle theft.

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All credit goes to Contributing Editor
Originally published on https://mynewsla.com