Crime

Riverside Sheriff’s and District Attorney investigators are looking into how a 24-year-old inmate died at the Larry Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on Wednesday. The Riverside Sheriff’s Office says in a statement that the inmate, James Hirt of Norco, was involved in a fight with another inmate in a cell. Deputies sprayed pepper spray into

A 42-year-old Palm Springs man was sentenced to probation and a suspended prison term today after pleading guilty to attempted murder and other charges stemming from a 2022 stabbing and threats at a convenience store.   Christopher William Freitas also entered guilty pleas on Dec. 9 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio to two felony

The Riverside County coroner’s office identified a 41-year-old Banning man killed in a shooting over the weekend in Moreno Valley. The shooting happened on Sunday, just after 7:20 p.m., on the 13000 block of Leota Court. Deputies were originally called out to the area for a crash. When deputies got on scene, they found a

A Coachella man accused of murder after a woman was found with severe burns on Halloween and later died from her injuries is scheduled to make an initial court appearance today. Richard Michael Carmona, 40, is expected to enter a plea to a felony count of murder, with a sentence-enhancing allegation of committing murder while

A shooting late Monday night in Palm Springs left two people injured. The shooting was reported at approximately 11:59 p.m. in the 1500 block of San Rafael Drive. Police said the two victims were found with serious injuries. Both are currently in stable condition. “Evidence at the scene indicates multiple shots were fired by the

Two La Quinta residents pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from vehicle burglaries in the Indian Wells area.    Francisco Ferratt, 24, entered guilty pleas to three felony counts of burglary during a felony settlement conference Monday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, case records indicated. Two felony counts of vandalism, one felony count

An ex-Riverside County sheriff’s deputy accused of harassing and abducting a woman was charged today with kidnapping and other offenses. Alexander Ravy Vanny, 33, of Hemet was arrested Thursday following an investigation by the sheriff’s department’s Special Victims Unit that was initiated earlier this year. Along with kidnapping, Vanny is charged with stalking, unauthorized use

A 40-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of homicide in connection with a deadly brush fire in Coachella on Halloween. The homicide dates back to Oct. 31 at around 12:15 a.m. Deputies were called out to a brush fire in the 51000 block of Cesar Chavez Street. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, when

Deputies are searching for suspects involved in a burglary in a La Quinta neighborhood Thursday afternoon. The burglary was reported at around 3:15 p.m. at the 45000 block of Coldbrook Lane. Multiple subjects have been detained, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Deputies are searching the area for suspects. There were no details available on

A woman, her father and her boyfriend were convicted today of charges stemming from the ambush and fatal stabbing of a 29-year-old man in a Cathedral City park, after the woman falsely claimed he had raped her.    Rena Lizette Alaniz, 24, of Thousand Palms was convicted on Thursday of a felony count of murder,

A 57-year-old man suspected of ramming into two police vehicles in Morongo Valley was charged Thursday with multiple counts of attempted murder. Stephen Anthony Bloomer, a Twentynine Palms resident, was arraigned on Thursday in Joshua Tree. Other charges included evading police, driving under the influence, and battery on a spouse, along with two enhancements of

Prosecutors today addressed the dismissal of charges against a 38-year-old Palm Springs man who was accused of assaulting a resident with an iron during a home invasion. Taylor Donald Hurst was released Wednesday morning after a judge at Indio’s Larson Justice Center dismissed felony counts of robbery, assault with a non-firearm deadly weapon to cause