Suspects Charged In Coachella Valley Deputy Shooting

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — Two men suspected in a bloody shootout with Riverside County sheriff's deputies last week were charged Monday with attempted murder.

Jose Eduardo Rosales Perez, 34, of Desert Hot Springs and 27-year-old Kristian Galeana were each charged with two felony counts of attempted murder on a peace officer along with one felony count each of being a convicted felon and narcotic addict in possession of a firearm and possessing ammunition. Galeana also faces two sentence-enhancing allegations of discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury.

Rosales Perez was set to be arraigned Monday afternoon at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, but no court date was immediately set for Galeana, who was wounded in the shootout.

The formal charges follow Wednesday night's melee in Thousand Palms. Shortly after 7 p.m., Palm Desert Sheriff's Station deputies were at Ramon and Robert roads in incorporated Thousand Palms tracking down a felony hit-and-run suspect, according to a report from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

The deputies focused on a vehicle with two people inside. They detained the driver, now publicly identified as Rosales Perez, but "the passenger fired at deputies and a deputy-involved shooting occurred," according to the department.

One deputy was struck by gunfire as was the suspect passenger, identified as Galeana.

Instead of surrendering, Galeana barricaded himself inside the vehicle and refused to follow law enforcement commands, the sheriff's department reported.

Additional deputies, along with the California Highway Patrol and police agencies in the area, responded to the scene. The law enforcement officers were eventually able to arrest the wounded Galeana.

The deputy who was shot has not been identified. Sgt. Deirdre Vickers said Monday that he remains hospitalized in stable condition following surgery at a local hospital.

Galeana was also hospitalized for his wounds but was booked Sunday into John J. Benoit Detention Center, the same jail housing Rosales Perez. Both men are being held on $1 million bail, according to inmate records.

The deputies involved in the shooting were being placed on paid administrative leave. Their names were not released.

Investigators from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office along with CHP personnel assigned to the Riverside Sheriff’s Force Investigations Detail are leading an investigation into the shooting, the sheriff's department said.