Press Releases

Details:

On Friday, April 10^th, 2020, at 5:00 P.M. the Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force with the assistance of the Riverside County Sheriff’s SWAT, served a firearms related search warrant at a residence in the 30000 block of Thousand Palms. The warrant stemmed from a follow-up investigation into a shooting that occurred on February 28^th, 2020 in Thousand Palms. During that incident, shots were fired by the suspect in a residential area. No victims were struck by the gunfire. The suspect fled the scene of the shooting in a vehicle and led Sheriff’s Department Deputies on a short pursuit that ended when the suspect crashed into a street sign. The suspect fled the scene of the crash on foot and was not apprehended. Deputies located a 9mm semi-auto handgun inside the crashed vehicle. The suspect was subsequently identified as documented gang member, Francisco Castro-Madera, 24 of Thousand Palms.

During today’s search warrant, Gang Task Force Officers located a 9mm semi-auto handgun that had been taken apart, and ammunition at the residence. Gang Task Force Officers arrested Castro-Madera and a second documented gang member, Daniel Rodriguez, 18 of Indio. Castro-Madera was charged with Negligent Discharge of a Firearm, Felony Evading and two counts of being a Gang Member in Possession of a Firearm. Rodriguez was charged with being a Gang Member in Possession of a Firearm. Both Castro-Madera and Rodriguez were booked at the Indio Jail.

The Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force is committed to creating safe and secure neighborhoods free of violent crime and gang activity. If you have any information about this crime, please contact CVVCGTF member Officer DiMaggio at (760) 836-1600. If you have non-emergency information regarding gang activity, please use our online Gang Task Force Tip Form or call 951-922-7601.

Francisco Castro-Madera	Daniel Rodriguez