La Quinta homicide victim found in trash bin ID'd by coroner's office
The Riverside County Coroner’s Bureau identified on Tuesday the homicide victim found in a La Quinta trash bin last month as 87-year-old La Quinta resident Ronald Clarke, records show.
Clarke was found in the 43-500 block of East Parkway Esplanade on Nov. 21. Prior to his name being released, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said he was a resident at the same board-and-care facility where the suspect worked as a caretaker.
Cristina Noelle Canimo has been charged with murder and torture. She’s being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Canimo faces a special circumstance allegation of torture, which makes her eligible for the death penalty if the district attorney’s office opts to pursue it.
Attempts to reach Clarke’s family on Tuesday were unsuccessful.
A report from the California Department of Social Services shows an investigator visited Sunbrook Residential Care, a facility on the same block, the day after the body was found to follow up on a resident’s death. Court records initially identified the victim as “Ronald C.”
Adam Weintraub, a California Department of Social Services spokesman, said last week that Sunbrook Residential Care remains open.
“At this point we have not taken action against the facility,” he said.
The facility has been at the center of several evaluation and complaint investigation reports since 2015.
When reached for comment last week, facility administrator Ramona Sykes declined to comment before hanging up on a reporter.
Murder suspect: La Quinta murder, torture suspect allegedly used screwdriver, knife, hammer and other tools
Investigations: La Quinta care facility, where body was found nearby, previously investigated by state
Shane Newell covers breaking news and the western Coachella Valley cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs. He can be reached at [email protected], (760) 778-4649 or on Twitter at @journoshane.
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