An Indio man was sentenced to 55 years to life in state prison on Jan. 20 in the 2020 shooting death of 32-year-old Angela Struzas, who was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside her home on the 38000 block of Rancho Los Coyotes Drive, authorities said.
Prosecutors said Johnny Jose Rodriguez pleaded guilty on Jan. 5 to second-degree murder and admitted gun and great bodily injury enhancements in a deal that required the lengthy term. The case drew attention because Rodriguez allegedly bragged to investigators, “I’m a good aim,” and claimed the victim’s roommate told him to “get her.” Detectives later said the allegation against the roommate did not hold up and related charges were dropped. With sentencing now complete, the court’s order closes a six-year path from the day of the killing through hearings on competency, pretrial motions and the final plea in Riverside County Superior Court.
Police were called to the Rancho Los Coyotes Drive address at about 1:40 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2020, after a resident reported a woman down inside a bedroom. Officers and paramedics found Struzas suffering from multiple wounds; she was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators secured the home, canvassed the neighborhood near Avenue 38 and collected evidence from the room where the shooting occurred. Rodriguez was taken into custody the next morning and initially pleaded not guilty. In a later interview described in court, he acknowledged pulling the trigger. “I’m a good aim,” he told detectives, according to testimony. At the time, he alleged the victim’s roommate handed him a gun and urged him to act; police said that account unraveled under scrutiny.
Testimony from a preliminary hearing described the scene as “one of the bloodiest” some officers had witnessed in a home. Detective Kelly Hawkins told the court that when investigators stepped inside the bedroom, Struzas was “drenched in blood, in a pool of blood.” Prosecutors said Rodriguez first shot the victim in the arm and then fired a second, fatal round. A prior felony drug conviction and his admission to using a firearm during the crime boosted his exposure under California’s sentencing law. Authorities did not present a clear motive at any stage, and Rodriguez declined to explain why he targeted the victim, according to the record. The roommate arrested in the early hours of the probe was later cleared of wrongdoing, and accessory and intimidation counts were dismissed.
The killing rattled a quiet residential stretch of Indio not far from schools and parks. Neighbors told officers they heard a disturbance earlier in the day but did not initially understand it was gunfire. In the months after the attack, the case moved in fits and starts as the court ordered mental health evaluations and paused proceedings while specialists reviewed Rodriguez’s competency. By late 2020, a judge ruled there was enough evidence to move forward, and bail remained set at $1 million. The docket shows a procession of hearings through the pandemic era as lawyers traded discovery, interviewed witnesses and prepared to call detectives and forensic technicians who documented the small, cluttered bedroom where the shots were fired.
The plea agreement this month resolved the murder count and the firearm enhancements without a trial. During the Jan. 20 sentencing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, a judge imposed the required term after brief statements from lawyers and a summary of the facts. Prosecutors noted the absence of provocation and the impact on the victim’s family. Defense counsel acknowledged the plea and reserved the right to appeal limited issues allowed under law. Records reflect that Rodriguez will be eligible to seek parole consideration only after serving the minimum required by statute, a span measured in decades. The court credited him with time already served in county custody since his 2020 arrest.
Struzas was identified by the coroner in the days after the homicide. Friends described her as a loyal daughter and a steady presence in their lives, details that surfaced during early memorials and in recollections that circulated at the time of her death. On Rancho Los Coyotes Drive, residents recalled patrol cars and crime scene tape stretched across a block typically filled with the daytime hum of delivery vans and lawn crews. While officials did not release an official motive, detectives said their review of phone records, interviews and statements undercut the suspect’s claim that another person instigated the shooting. By mid-2020, the case had narrowed to Rodriguez alone.
Investigators said the gun used in the killing was recovered as evidence; the make and model were not disclosed in open court. Prosecutors relied on physical evidence from inside the home, witness statements and the defendant’s own words to support the plea. The courtroom record indicates no plea was offered to the now-cleared roommate once detectives concluded he had no role. Prosecutors emphasized that the plea to second-degree murder, along with the enhancements, reflected the seriousness of the crime and ensured a sentence that keeps Rodriguez in prison for much of his life. The judge adopted standard orders regarding victim restitution and post-conviction custody.
With sentencing complete, further proceedings will be procedural. Rodriguez was remanded to the custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for intake. Any appeal would focus on the legal scope permitted after a negotiated plea. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office said the case will remain closed unless new filings arise from post-conviction review. The Indio Police Department noted that the early claims that another person directed the shooting were investigated and found unsupported. Officials said they hope the sentence provides some measure of finality to relatives and friends who waited through years of hearings.
As of this weekend, court calendars showed no additional hearings beyond the paperwork milestones that follow a transfer to state prison. The home where Struzas died has long since returned to private life, but neighbors said they still remember the shock of seeing patrol cars flood the block in the early afternoon. The victim’s name appeared on small remembrances shared by friends online, many calling her generous and quick to check in. For investigators who worked the scene, the testimony about its brutality has lingered as a stark marker in a city more accustomed to routine calls than a midday killing inside a bedroom.
Rodriguez remains in custody pending transport to state prison. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department will update his housing once he clears intake. No additional defendants are expected in the case. The public record leaves the motive as unknown, and authorities have not suggested any further searches or evidence testing are scheduled. The sentence stands at 55 years to life, and the next legal milestone, if any, would be a notice of appeal or a post-conviction filing in the months ahead.
Author note: Last updated January 25, 2026.