Pinyon Pines, California facts for kids

Pinyon Pines is an unincorporated community in Riverside County, California.

Geography

It is located in a small valley between the San Jacinto Mountains and Santa Rosa Mountains, north of State Route 74. It takes its name from the Pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla) trees native to the area. Pinyon Pines sits at an elevation of approximately 4000 feet.

History

Pinyon Pines is notable for a 2006 triple homicide that made national attention. Residents 53-year-old Vicki Friedli and her 55-year-old boyfriend, Jon Hayward, were found shot, and Friedl's 18-year-old daughter, Becky, was found outside in a wheelbarrow, burned so badly investigators were unable to determine cause of death. Two men were indicted in March 2014, but the charges were later dismissed. The crime is among the most notorious murders in the Coachella Valley. The two men have since been arrested again. On August 10, 2018, a jury found Robert Pape, 30, and Cristin Smith, 29, guilty and sentenced both to life in prison without the possibility of parole.