A jury was seated Wednesday in the murder trial of a parolee accused of gunning down a man in the courtyard of a Desert Hot Springs apartment building.
Opening statements are expected Monday in the trial of Eduardo Stultz, 25, of Cathedral City, who is accused of the Dec. 13, 2016 shooting of 37-year-old Coachella resident Johnny Rodriguez outside a Second Street apartment. Rodriguez was pronounced dead at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs of multiple gunshot wounds.
Along with murder, Stultz is charged with possession of a firearm, as well as sentence-enhancing gang and firearm use allegations.
According to court documents, witnesses said an argument broke out in the apartment’s courtyard between several men just prior to the 3 a.m. shooting.
Rodriguez “was unable to say who shot him and quickly went into cardiac arrest on scene,” the report says. But multiple witnesses identified Stultz, leading to his arrest at 9 that night near his home in the 28700 block of Landau Boulevard, according to Sgt. Gus Paiz.
Police are also seeking at least one other shooter who remains at large.
Stultz told investigators that he was at his sister’s home all day until the evening of Dec. 13, according to court documents.
Stultz previously served three years in prison for possession of a controlled substance and attempting to evade a peace officer and was released in September 2016.
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