Cold Case Killing: Banning Police Announce 2 Arrests

BANNING, CA — Two arrests were announced Wednesday in a Banning killing that went unsolved for more than four years.

Jose Domingo Verdusco Jr., 20, and Samuel Vasquez, 22, both of Banning, have been connected to the Feb. 9, 2017 slaying of 20-year-old Henry Steven Waters Jr. of Cabazon, the Banning Police Department announced.

While walking with a friend, police allege Waters was gunned down by Verdusco and Vasquez at approximately 3:07 a.m. in the 1000 block of North Hargrave. Waters suffered several gunshot wounds and died at the scene, while his friend escaped the gunfire by running and hiding, according to police.

Despite at least one witness, Waters' killing became a cold case. But after beefing up its Detective Bureau, in 2019 the Banning Police Department began tracking crime patterns and evidence, and started creating lists of "persons of interest" in cold-case killings.

It's not clear what led to Verdusco and Vasquez — both of whom were already in custody on unrelated charges.

On Monday, Banning police announced Vasquez, a documented gang member, was also connected to the 2015 racially motivated slaying of Charles Warren Neazer, a 51-year-old Black man from Banning who was gunned down in the 200 block of North Fifth Street.

In addition to the allegations of killing Neazer and Waters, Vasquez was already charged in a separate 2017 case with multiple counts of attempted murder and firearm assault. He's being held in lieu of $1 million bail at Murrieta's Southwest Detention Center, jail records show.

Verdusco is currently serving time at Calipatria State Prison for an Aug. 2019 Banning robbery. Prison records show he is eligible for parole in August 2030.

Anyone who may have additional information in the Waters case is asked to contact the Banning Police Department Detective Bureau at 951-922-3170.