Police Thursday sought a suspect in a Palm Springs shooting that left an 18-year-old man hospitalized following a botched drug deal.
The shooting happened at around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 500 block of Rosa Parks Drive, where police found a car riddled with bullet holes, and blood in the interior of the car.
The victim, identified only as an Indio resident, was found at a hospital shortly after police located the shot-up car. Though he is expected to survive, police say he has been uncooperative with their investigation into the shooting.
While the shooter remains at large, police said that the gunfire broke out following a drug deal involving the victim and another Indio man.
Ricardo Perez, 21, allegedly was “involved in an illegal narcotics transaction” with the victim “which led to the shooting involving a possible suspect.” Perez is not believed to have shot the victim, but was with him at the time of the shooting, according to the Palm Springs Police Department.
Perez was also found at the hospital, but allegedly tried to run when questioned about the shooting. He was arrested and police found a handgun inside his vehicle nearby. He was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of resisting arrest, and was released Wednesday on $10,000 bail.
Police continue to seek any information regarding the shooter, as there are “no known witnesses to this crime.”
Anyone with information was asked to contact the Palm Springs Police Department at (760) 323-8115 or Crime Stoppers at (760) 341-7867 to report anonymously.
