Person of interest sought in Coachella Valley teen murders

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. — The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is asking for the public's help in finding a “person of interest” in the murder of a 17-year-old Mecca resident.

On Thursday, the department announced that David Espinoza, 20, also of Mecca, had been identified as a person of interest in the death of Francisco Ramírez. Espinoza, whose whereabouts are unknown, is also wanted on an unrelated felony warrant for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Sheriff's Department.

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Espinoza is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5'4″, 135 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

The investigation into Ramirez's death began around 12:05 a.m. March 25 when deputies assigned to the Thermal Sheriff's Station were dispatched to the 71000 block of Miramar Drive in Mecca regarding an assault with a deadly weapon call.

Once on scene, police found evidence of a shooting nearby but did not locate a victim or suspect.

However, as the search continued, information developed that led investigators to find a body in the nearby area of ​​Sea View Way and 72nd Avenue in Mecca.

The victim, later identified as Ramirez, is believed to be linked to the initial assault with a deadly weapon call, the department said.

It is unclear how investigators linked Espinoza to Ramirez's death and a possible motive for the killing has not been released.

Anyone with information about the investigation or the whereabouts of Espinoza is asked to contact Riverside Sheriff's Central Homicide Unit investigators R. Deanne or K. Farag at 951-955-2777 . Anyone who sees Espinoza or knows his whereabouts immediately should call 911, the sheriff's department said.