Another suspect taken into custody in connection with May 2025 fatal shooting in Hesperia

Authorities have arrested a second suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Blake Rutledge in Hesperia earlier this year.

Jovany Bahena, 35, was taken into custody on Friday at a residence in Apple Valley. He was booked on a murder charge at the High Desert Detention Center, where he remains in custody, officials confirmed on Saturday.

The deadly shooting occurred on the morning of May 23, 2025, inside a home on the 16000 block of Sequoia Street. Witnesses reported seeing multiple people fleeing the area shortly after the gunfire.

Previously, Ermes Bustamante, 37, of Victorville, was arrested in connection with the case. He was apprehended on May 30, 2025, and booked at the High Desert Detention Center with bail set at $1,000,000.

Anyone with additional information about this shooting is asked to contact the Homicide Detail at 909-890-4904, or We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or go to wetip.com.