Missing Person / Homicide Investigation

The Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit has continued working and processing investigative leads related to the murder investigation of Audrey Moran and Jonathon Reynoso.  On Tuesday, July 22, 2020, members of the Riverside Sheriff’s Department and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Gang Impact team arrested Aaron Fernando Bernal, age 28, of Indio and Eric Rios, age 31, of Coachella in connection with these murders.  Aaron Bernal was arrested for 187 PC-Murder and Eric Rios for Accessory to a Murder-32 PC.  Both suspects were arrested in the Coachella Valley without incident and booked at our local jails.

In addition, investigators have added 187PC-Murder charges to Adilene Ines Castaneda, age 27, of Coachella who has been in Riverside County custody since February 5th, 2020 for an unrelated narcotics investigation.  No further information is being released at this time.  The Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit encourages anyone with information related to this case to contact investigators at line at (760)-393-3544.

Aaron Fernando Bernal	Eric Rios	Adilene Ines Castaneda

Update:

Saturday, June 27th, 2020, information obtained during this lengthy missing person/homicide investigation has led to the arrest of three suspects in connection with the murders of Audrey Moran and Jonathon Reynoso. Investigators with the Riverside Sheriff’s Department-Central Homicide Unit have arrested Manuel Rios, age 28 of Coachella, Abraham Fregoso, age 32 of Indio, and Jesus Ruiz Jr., age 41 Stockton, for Murder. All three suspects have been booked into our (Riverside County Jails) local jail facilities.  This investigation is still on going and the public is still encouraged to call the tip line with any helpful leads. No further information is being released at this time.

Manuel Rios	Abraham Fregoso	Jesus Ruiz Jr.

Details: 

On May, 12, 2017, at approximately 12:00 pm, officers from the Palm Desert Police Department received a report of a missing male adult later identified as 28-year-old, Palm Desert resident, Jonathan Reynoso. Reynoso was last seen on May 10, 2017, at his residence located within the city of Palm Desert. Reynoso is a Hispanic male with black hair and brown eyes. He is five feet ten inches tall and weighs 185 pounds.

During this time the Palm Desert Police Department began working alongside the Indio Police Department who were attempting to locate the whereabouts of Reynoso’s girlfriend identified as 26-year-old Indio resident, Audrey Moran. Moran was also reported missing on May 12, 2017. Moran is a Hispanic female with brown hair and brown eyes. She is five feet tall and weighs 121 pounds.

On May 12, 2017, at approximately 9:00 am, a vehicle that was being driven by Audrey Moran was located alongside the westbound Interstate 10 freeway west of Oak Valley Parkway, within the city of Beaumont. The vehicle is a gray 2010 GMC Terrain bearing California license number 6MIG265. Anyone with information that may have seen any suspicious activity around this vehicle on or about May 12, 2017, is encouraged to call the tip-line.

Based upon jurisdictional considerations, and the benefits of funneling all new information through a single source, the Riverside Sheriff’s Department Central Homicide Unit has assumed the investigation of both missing people. Due to the ongoing status of the investigation, no further information is available. We are encouraging the public with any helpful information in regards to the whereabouts of Audrey Moran and Jonathan Reynoso to call the missing persons tip-line at (760)-393-3544.

Jonathan Reynoso and Audrey Moran

Gray 2010 GMC Terrain

California license number 6MIG265