Accused Of Stabbing 3 Family Members, Indio Man Back In Court

INDIO, CA — A 34-year-old man suspected of stabbing three of his family members, one fatally, following a dispute in Indio re-entered not guilty pleas Monday to felony charges.

Anthony William Piña-German of Indio is charged with one felony count of murder and two felony counts of attempted murder, according to court records. He also faces sentence-enhancing allegations of using a weapon during a felony and causing great bodily injury.

He initially pleaded not guilty Nov. 30, 2022, and, following a preliminary hearing Dec. 21, 2023, Riverside Superior Court Judge John J. Ryan ruled that there was sufficient evidence to hold Piña-German to answer on the charges, according to court records.

He re-entered not guilty pleas Monday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

At around 6:50 p.m. Nov. 26, 2022, officers responded to the 82900 block of Via Valencia to a family disturbance, and three unidentified men were found with stab wounds, according to Ben Guitron of the Indio Police Department.

Guitron said the men and Piña-German were in a dispute before the stabbing occurred and the victims were taken to a hospital, where one of them died.

The decedent was not identified.

Piña-German allegedly left the scene before officers arrived and, based on the circumstances, police investigated the stabbing as a homicide in conjunction with the Riverside County coroner's office, according to Guitron.

Piña-German was found and arrested in El Centro the following morning. He remains held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on $1 million bail.

Anyone with information about the case was asked to call the Indio Police Department at 760-391-4051 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 760-341-7867 (STOP).