After 22 Years, Arrest Made In Coachella Valley Teen's Killing

LA QUINTA, CA — A Bermuda Dunes man has been arrested in connection with a 22-year-old cold case killing of a teenager in La Quinta, authorities announced.

Eddie Zazueta Jr., 40, was taken into custody without incident on Friday, July 24, and booked into the Larry Smith Correctional Facility on suspicion of murder, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department reported late Monday night.

The arrest stems from a shooting that occurred during the early morning hours of July 5, 2004. Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a shooting in the 52400 block of Avenida Obregon, where they found 17-year-old Daniel Medina of Indio suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Medina was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.

While investigators identified a person of interest during the initial probe, authorities lacked sufficient evidence at the time to make an arrest, and the case eventually went cold.

The case was recently reopened after Central Homicide Unit investigators reexamined the unsolved file and identified new leads. The follow-up investigation yielded additional evidence that linked Zazueta to the crime, leading to his arrest with assistance from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Gang Impact Team, according to the sheriff's department.

Zazueta was 18 years old at the time of Medina's slaying.

The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities urge anyone with information regarding the case to contact Master Investigator Robertson or Deputy Lucifora at 951-955-2777.