Curtis Ward, 44, was found with a gunshot wound on May 14, 2023, in the 10600 block of Villa Street in Adelanto. Deputies from the Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station provided initial aid and Ward was taken to a Los Angeles County trauma center. He later died of his injuries on June 21, 2023.

Investigators identified 67-year-old Adelanto resident Steven Soliz as the primary suspect. An arrest warrant was issued and Soliz was taken into custody on June 15 near the intersection of Aster and Palmdale roads; he was booked into the High Desert Detention Center with bail set at $1 million. Authorities have not released a motive or described the relationship, and an autopsy has been scheduled to determine the exact cause of death. Detectives are asking anyone with information to come forward.

Did anyone in Adelanto or Riverside see or hear anything around Villa Street on May 14 that might help investigators?