*CRIMINAL CASE UPDATE*

ANGEL ESPARZA TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR KILLING 16-YEAR-OLD BOY

INDIO, CA. - The man wanted for murdering a 16-year-old boy near the Coachella Boys and Girls Club has been arrested and is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow on charges of first-degree murder with a special allegation that he used a gun during the commission of a crime and an enhancement for a prior felony conviction.

Angel Esparza, DOB: 1/1/84, fled after the December 3rd shooting. He was officially charged with the killing on Dec. 4th and remained a fugitive until Dec. 24th when the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department received information on his whereabouts. He was arrested without incident and turned over to Riverside County custody the morning of Dec. 28th.

On Dec. 3rd, officers from the Coachella Police Department responded to the report of a man down in the 1400 block of 9th Street in the City of Coachella. Upon arrival, officers found Angel Luna, of Coachella, deceased at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. During the course of the investigation, detectives discovered Luna had gotten into an argument with another male. The argument escalated into a shooting, leaving Luna dead.

The case, INF067004, is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Victoria Cameron. Esparza's arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009 at 1:30 PM in Dept. 3N of the Larson Justice Center in Indio.