On July 26, 2024, at approximately 10:15 p.m., Adam Ortega, a 31-year-old resident of Desert Hot Springs, was fatally shot during an attempted robbery in a downtown Palm Springs parking structure located on the 200 block of South Indian Canyon Drive. Friends transported Ortega to Desert Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead early the following morning.
Palm Springs Police Department officers, alerted by the hospital at 10:26 p.m., initiated an investigation that led to the identification of a primary suspect, 20-year-old Jorge Adan Maciel III of Palm Springs. Surveillance efforts observed Maciel departing a related location with two other individuals, both 23-year-old men from Cathedral City, in a vehicle. A traffic stop was conducted, during which Maciel attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended with the assistance of a K-9 unit. The two accomplices, identified as Eliberto Jesus Genera III and another individual, were also detained.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the incident stemmed from an attempted robbery. On July 31, 2024, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office charged Maciel and Genera with felony murder, with special circumstances of attempted robbery and criminal street gang association, which could result in a life sentence or the death penalty. Maciel faced additional charges, including assault with a semi-automatic firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon or narcotics addict, along with enhancements for firearm use causing great bodily injury. The third individual detained was not charged at that time, as the investigation remained ongoing.
Both Maciel and Genera were held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, with bail set at $1 million each. Their arraignment was scheduled at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. The Palm Springs Police Department continued to investigate the case, urging anyone with information to contact Detective Escallada or provide anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers.
