Allegations Of Cheating, Kidnapping At Motel In Desert: Court Update

INDIO, CA — A 34-year-old felon invited a woman he was dating to a Motel 6 to drink, accused her of cheating, pinned her to the ground and choked her before dragging her inside a room to continue arguing, a prosecutor told jurors Wednesday, but the defendant's attorney said that while his client is no saint, the victim was not forced to do anything or go anywhere against her will.

Adalberto Raygoza of Cathedral City is charged with one felony count each of kidnapping, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse, assault on a person causing great bodily injury and false imprisonment, according to court records.

During opening statements at the Larson Justice Center in Indio on Wednesday, Deputy District Attorney James Graff-Radford showed jurors a photo of the victim from the night of the altercation. He said she is clearly a human being but was not treated as such on May 30, 2022, the day of the altercation.

The victim received a text from the defendant in the evening asking her to go to a room at the motel in Rancho Mirage, Graff-Radford said. She parked in the back of the motel, met the defendant, and they started to hang out and talk.

At some point, as they spoke into the early morning hours of the following day, the defendant accused the woman of cheating, so she attempted to leave by walking to the back of the motel toward her car, according to Graff-Radford. The defendant followed her, got in front of her, prevented her from getting in her car, and they continued to argue, he said.

Raygoza then allegedly slapped her across the face hard enough that she can be seen flinching, pinned her to the ground, and began to choke and threaten her, Graff-Radford said. She was eventually able to get him off by fighting him off of her and as she tried to gather herself to leave, he allegedly grabbed onto her while she was on the ground and dragged her approximately 100 feet up the stairs, and to the motel room.

As they were arguing in the room, the victim was able to get out and a deputy arrived shortly afterward and found the victim distraught on the staircase, where she told the responding deputy what happened, according to Graff-Radford.

Raygoza's defense attorney Christopher DeSalva then told jurors that during the trial they will see a video of the altercation and will have to think about what may or may not have happened that day.

He said jurors will also hear testimony from the victim, and if it's consistent with her previous statements, she will say that she didn't go anywhere out of fear or force.

Though Raygoza is no saint, he's charged with kidnapping, which is very serious, DeSalva said. He said his client did not take anyone against their will, and did not drag someone from the stairs and back to the hotel room. A video will show that he was just guiding her, directing her to the room, DeSalva said. He did not deny that a fight happened, but said evidence will show that the victim kicked the defendant between the legs, but she chose to go to the room to talk or argue.

During the preliminary hearing, Graff-Radford presented video footage from outside the motel room, in which Raygoza is seen allegedly hitting the victim on the ground and putting his hands near her face as she attempts to kick and fight back. The defendant walked away and returned before allegedly grabbing the victim and taking her back into the motel room.

Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Adrienne Morrow testified that he responded May 30, 2022, to a call from a man at Motel 6 in Rancho Mirage saying he heard what sounded like a man and woman fighting above his room. When he responded to the scene, he spoke with the alleged victim, who had a bruise on her left eye.

"She told me that she was socked by Raygoza. She stated that Raygoza accused her of hanging out with a group of other individuals ... in Cathedral City," Morrow said. "She said that she was grabbed by the neck for approximately 30 seconds. ... she said he was calling her a (expletive) and (saying) to just die."

Morrow also testified that he did not find Raygoza at the motel the day of the altercation.

After a warrant was issued for Raygoza's arrest, he was found Sept. 8, 2022, running by railroad tracks near Bob Hope Drive and Ramon Road, according to Sgt. Dave Morton with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. He was chased on foot and arrested.

Raygoza remains held at the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio on a $1 million bail bond, according to inmate records.

He has prior convictions in Riverside County for possession of controlled substances, resisting arrest and inflicting corporal injury on a spouse, according to court records.