Anjel Rodriguez, 18, of Thermal was shot and killed on the evening of March 24, 2026, in the unincorporated Riverside County community of Mecca. Deputies were called to the intersection of Coahuilla Street and 6th Street at about 7:58 p.m.; Rodriguez was found with apparent gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Central Homicide Unit took over the investigation.

Investigators identified three suspects, all from Mecca. On April 1, 2026, 20-year-old Daniel Molina and a 17-year-old male juvenile were arrested in Mecca, and a 16-year-old male juvenile was taken into custody in Indio. Molina was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on a murder charge; the two juveniles were booked into Juvenile Hall on charges of assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing.

If anyone witnessed the shooting that evening or has information about Anjel Rodriguez’s movements or the people involved, please come forward.