Teens Plead Not Guilty in Coachella Killing

Photos courtesy of the Riverside Sheriff’s Department

By City News Service

Two 19-year-old Palm Desert men pleaded not guilty Friday to the October fatal shooting of a man in Coachella.

Carlos Jay Martinez and Noel Hernandez were ordered June 4 to stand trial on charges of murder and sentence-enhancing allegations of using weapons.

The charges stem from the Oct. 26, 2014, slaying of Fabian Martinez, 23, of Coachella.

Fabian Martinez was found mortally wounded in the street of the 48600 block of Camino Las Brisas, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Read More:

• Two Palm Desert Teens Arrested in Connection to Coachella Murder
• Murder Charges Filed Against Palm Desert Teens
• Teens Ordered to Stand Trial in Coachella Killing

Carlos Martinez and Hernandez were arrested the following day. Hernandez additionally faces one felony count of false imprisonment for allegedly attacking a woman on the same day as the murder, according to the complaint.

As was the case during their initial court appearances in October, the courtroom was packed with spectators for the preliminary hearing this month at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

At the end of the October hearing, someone in the crowded gallery yelled curse words before the defendants were taken away, causing deputies to clear the courtroom.

Both men were being held on $1 million bail each at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.