La Quinta cold-case arrest: Man arrested in 2002 fatal shooting after re-examination

Detectives with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit identified and arrested 46‑year‑old Alex Anthony Uribe of La Quinta just before noon on Feb. 27, 2026, after re‑examining a 2002 fatal shooting. Uribe was taken into custody without incident in the area of Avenida Mendoza and was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center on pending murder charges, according to jail records and department statements. An initial hearing was scheduled at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, records show.

The victim in the original case was a 27‑year‑old man from Indio whose name is spelled variously in reports as Hernan Marquez and Herman Marquez; investigators and public records should be consulted to confirm the legal spelling. The shooting occurred in the early morning of Aug. 11, 2002, with some reports placing the time at around 4:15 a.m., after an altercation at a house party in the Avenida Mendoza block of the La Quinta Cove neighborhood. Deputies responded to a traffic collision near Avenida Mendoza and Calle Durango and located the adult male inside a vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds; medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.

The cold‑case report reproduced by investigators states: “The investigation revealed that Marquez had been attending a house party in the 52200 block of Avenida Mendoza, where an altercation occurred. During the incident, as Marquez was leaving the location, he was shot by an unknown individual. Marquez then drove away from the area at a high rate of speed, eventually losing control of his vehicle and colliding with several parked vehicles.” Initial inquiries after the 2002 incident were described at the time as extensive, but the case went cold without arrests.

Authorities said the case was reexamined nearly 23 years later and that advances in forensic testing produced several potential leads and follow‑up tasks. A countywide cold case search for information and a public call for assistance preceded the identification of Uribe as a suspect. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office Gang Impact Team assisted investigators in the identification and arrest, law enforcement sources indicate. Investigators have not publicly detailed what specific evidence led to Uribe’s identification.

Sgt. Jarred Bishop acknowledged public help in the case and framed the arrest as part of a long effort: “The Riverside Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the public for their assistance in this investigation and for helping provide justice for Marquez and closure for his family after more than twenty years,” he said. He also stated, “Uribe is believed to be the only suspect involved in this incident.”

Jail records show Uribe remains in custody pending prosecution and that the department’s investigation is ongoing. Officials have described the charges only as pending murder charges; further charging documents, counsel status, and confirmation of the victim’s legal name and the precise party address remain matters for verification with official records and the sheriff’s department.