Palm Springs hate crime suspects to be tried together

A court appearance for a Palm Springs hate crime suspect was rescheduled Monday so he can be tried at the same time as his co-defendant.

Christopher Carr was in Riverside County Superior Court for a felony settlement conference, which is a routine appearance for lawyers to discuss a case. But it was continued to Dec. 21, when co-defendant Keith Terranova is scheduled to appear.

They're accused of attacking George and Chris Zander on Nov. 1 in Palm Springs. The attack was investigated as a hate crime because the victims were gay.

George Zander died Thursday morning after being rushed to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. Authorities are now investigating whether there was a link between his death and last month's attack.

Friends of Zander said funeral services have not been arranged.

On Monday, Superior Court Judge Dale Wells acknowledge the case may involve new factors, but "we don't know what outcome" may arise.

Carr and Terranova pleaded not guilty to the accusations and both remain in custody.

The attack happened near Calle Encilia and Tahquitz Canyon Way in Palm Springs. Carr was walking south on Calle Encilia when he approached the victims, court documents show.

According to a declaration in support of an arrest warrant, the Zanders were going north on Encilia when Carr "intentionally" bumped into Chris Zander and told him to get out of the way while using a gay slur.

The pair argued and Carr tackled Chris Zander, according to the document. They parted ways and Chris Zander was left with injuries on his elbows and left hand.

Later, near the intersection of Tahquitz Canyon Way, Carr returned with Terranova and attacked the Zanders. According to criminal complaints, Terranova attacked Chris Zander with a tire iron and Carr attacked George Zander.

He required surgery for a double fracture to his hip and Chris Zander suffered a concussion and needed staples in the back of his head.

Desert Sun reporter Mauricio Pena contributed to this story