Ralph Ortega, 45, was shot on the evening of November 1, 2024, on the 24000 block of Dracaea Avenue in Moreno Valley. Deputies arrived after a report of an assault with a deadly weapon and found him suffering from gunshot wounds; he was taken to a hospital and did not survive. Early investigators released little about motive or a suspect, and the case remained unresolved for months as detectives from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit worked the scene and sought public help.

By late May 2025 investigators said they had identified two Moreno Valley men as suspects: Adam Melvin Carl, 29, and Ruben Alexander Puentes, 28. Authorities allege an unspecified dispute on Dracaea Avenue escalated, that Carl pulled a pistol and fired multiple times at Ortega, and that both men fled. Carl was charged with first-degree murder, being a felon with a firearm, and enhancements alleging a gun and great bodily injury; Puentes was charged with assault with a firearm resulting in great bodily injury and a deadly-weapon allegation. Both pleaded not guilty on June 12, 2025, leaving the prosecution’s account as an accusation pending further proceedings.

Does anyone in Moreno Valley have information about Ortega’s last hours or the confrontation on Dracaea Avenue?