Remains Of Missing Couple Found In Coachella Valley

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — Charges were filed Tuesday against three men arrested in connection with the disappearance of a couple who went missing in the Coachella Valley more than three years ago, and there may be more suspects and/or witnesses in the case.

Audrey Moran, 26, of Indio and Jonathan Reynoso, 28, of Palm Desert disappeared May 12, 2017. An intense investigation that involved hundreds of interviews and more than 50 search warrants served led to the grim discovery of their remains in the Coachella Valley "over the last several days," Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said Tuesday during a news briefing.

Bianco would not specify where in the Valley the remains were found, but said investigators believe both Moran and Reynoso were killed not long after they disappeared.

Manuel Rios, 28, of Coachella has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, a special circumstance allegation of killing a witness, and being an accessory to murder after the fact, according to Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin, who was also at Tuesday's news briefing.

Abraham Fregoso, 32, of Indio was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and a special circumstance allegation of killing a witness, Hestrin said.

Both men are eligible for the death penalty if convicted on all charges, Hestrin said.

Also charged in the case was Jesus Ruiz Jr., 41, of Stockton. He was charged with two counts of being an accessory to murder after the fact.

Although Ruiz is a Stockton resident, he lived most of his life in the Coachella Valley, Bianco said.

Ruiz is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday in Banning, while Rios and Fregoso are expected to be arraigned the following day.

Two of the suspects have been in custody on other charges for several months, but Bianco would not provide details on which suspects or what the charges were.

The suspects and victims all knew each other, Bianco said. The sheriff declined to provide a motive for the killings.

While investigators are certain the remains found in recent days belong to Moran and Reynoso, Bianco said the sheriff's department is awaiting confirmation from DNA test results.

The couple's disappearance has been a mystery. On the day they vanished, Moran left her Coachella home to pick up Reynoso, who may have been returning to the Coachella Valley from the Brawley area. Bianco would not confirm whether Reynoso was returning from Brawley.

Moran said she was going to give Reynoso a ride to his Palm Desert home, but the SUV she drove was later found parked on the side of Interstate 10 in Beaumont. A police bloodhound detected their scent near the SUV, but the trail disappeared about 50 feet from the vehicle.

Bianco did not provide any information about why the vehicle was left in Beaumont.

Bianco said the investigation remains ongoing, and there may be more suspects and/or witnesses who have not come forward. He urged anybody with additional information to call the department's Central Homicide Unit.