Second suspect arrested in shooting at Cathedral City Dollar Tree

Cathedral City police arrested one of two outstanding suspects Thursday in a shooting at the Dollar Tree earlier this month.

Police say David Anthony William Garcia, 22, fired six shots at a man fleeing the store after a scuffle between the two. The victim was struck several times, and authorities did not release his current condition.

It happened on June 4 around 3:30 p.m., when police say Garcia, of Desert Hot Springs, brandished a firearm and confronted an 18-year-old customer inside of the Dollar Tree on Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City.

The men fought for the gun, with 18-year-old Leah Lelani Lopez of San Jacinto and 62-year-old Marie Ashee Verest of Cathedral City accused of helping Garcia.

“After fighting over the gun for approximately 2 to 3 (minutes), the suspects and victim reached a stalemate and agreed to stop fighting,” the Cathedral City Police Department said in a press release. “The victim attempted to shake the suspect’s hand, but the suspect retrieved the gun out of his pants and attempted to shoot the victim at point blank range.”

The gun did not work and the magazine fell from it. They then fought for the magazine and the victim was pistol whipped in the head, the department said. The victim ran from the store, and police said Garcia chased after him and fired six rounds.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department arrested Lopez later that day on suspicion of a different crime. She is facing charges in the Dollar Tree shooting for attempted murder and other felonies, the department said. She is scheduled to appear at the Larson Justice Center on Friday at 8:30 a.m., court records show.

Detectives received a tip that Garcia was hiding in a home in the 1300 block of Barbetty Way in Beaumont on Thursday. Garcia was arrested and booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility on suspicion of attempted murder and other felony charges, the department said.

City News Service contributed to this report.

Ani Gasparyan covers the western Coachella Valley cities of Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City. Reach her at ani.gasparyan@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Man arrested in shooting at Cathedral City Dollar Tree