Riverside County detectives make cold case homicide arrest in 2004 murder of 17-year-old

Riverside County detectives have arrested a suspect in connection with a cold case homicide investigation dating back to 2004, when a 17-year-old boy was fatally shot in La Quinta. 

In a news release shared by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, deputies said that their investigation began 22 years ago on July 5, 2004, when they were called to the 52400 block of Avenida Obregon at around 4:30 p.m. for reports of a person who had been shot. 

"Deputies arrived and located Daniel Medina, a 17-year-old male from Indio, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds," the release said. 

He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. 

Since then, Medina's killer had not been located. 

"As part of the Sheriff's Office's ongoing efforts to review unsolved homicide cases, investigators recently reexamined this case," the release said. "During the review, several leads and follow-up tasks were identified, and the case was reopened."

Investigators were able to locate additional evidence through the follow-up probe and eventually identified the suspect as 40-year-old Bermuda Dunes resident Eddie Zazueta, who would have been 18 at the time. 

Zazueta was located and taken into custody on Friday, July 24, 2026 with help from the Riverside County District Attorney's Gang Impact Team, deputies said. He was booked for murder at the Larry Smith Correctional Facility. 

"This investigation remains ongoing, and no additional information will be released at this time," the release said. 

Anyone who knows more was urged to contact RSO Master Investigator Robertson or Deputy Lucifora at 951-955-2777.