BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – A jury was seated today for the trial of an 82-year-old man accused of fatally bludgeoning a senior who had invited him to stay at her and her husband’s Palm Springs home. Stephen Roy McKernan allegedly killed 75-year-old Claire Carsman in 2019. McKernan is charged with first-degree murder and sentence-enhancing
Continue Reading
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – The Board of Supervisors today approved increasing the salary ranges tied to multiple executive positions in more than 20 Riverside County agencies, in what the county’s chief executive officer described as a move necessary to keep the county on par with neighboring jurisdictions. No pay hikes were formally authorized in the
Continue Reading
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) – Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a waiver of environmental regulations today to speed up construction of more than two miles of border wall in San Diego County. The waiver is the first under the new administration, which will forgo laws such as the National Environmental Policy
Continue Reading
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Jury deliberations began today in the trial of a felon accused of choking his girlfriend to death during a domestic confrontation in the parking lot of an Indio condominium complex. Eduardo Alvarez is charged with first-degree murder in the 2020 slaying of 32-year-old Madeleine Gutierrez, also of Indio. The prosecution
Continue Reading
LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – A youth soccer coach charged with murder in connection with the death of a 13-year-old boy found in Oxnard and also facing charges of assaulting two other teenage boys was ordered today to be held without bail. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Theresa R. McGonigle ordered Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, 43,
Continue Reading
LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – Two Los Angeles County prosecutors sued Los Angeles County and District Attorney Nathan Hochman today, alleging they were wrongfully demoted for their support of a resentencing of the Mendendez brothers while the office was under George Gascón. Deputy District Attorneys Nancy Theberge and Brock Lunsford each filed their own complaint in
Continue Reading
LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – State legislators today touted a proposed bill aimed at creating so-called “hospitality zones,” allowing cities to extend last call times to 4 a.m. on certain days. Currently, state law prohibits bars and nightclubs from selling alcohol past 2 a.m. However, Assemblymember Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, wants to extend alcohol service until
Continue Reading
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – One of two men accused of robbing a U.S. Postal Service delivery worker in Palm Desert and possibly perpetrating similar offenses in other locations pleaded not guilty today to second-degree robbery. Jose Estevan Chavarria Jr., 28, of Los Angeles was arrested last month along with Luis Alberto Gonzalez, 32, of Victorville
Continue Reading
WASHINGTON D.C. (KESQ) – The Dodgers joined President Donald Trump at the White House today to celebrate their 2024 World Series championship. All the Dodger players, except for Freddie Freeman who is on the injured list and recovering from an ankle sprain, coaches and manager Dave Roberts visited the White House on Monday. Trump recognized
Continue Reading
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Jury selection got underway today for the trial of a pool serviceman accused of fatally beating a 93-year-old Palm Desert woman during a robbery. Benjamin Cabrera Briones, 62, of Thousand Palms is charged with first- degree murder, burglary, forgery and special-circumstance allegations of killing in the course of a robbery and
Continue Reading
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Police Department will conduct a DUI checkpoint today at an undisclosed location. The checkpoint will be held from 7 p.m. Friday until 2 a.m. Saturday in Palm Springs, according to the department. The location of the checkpoint will be determined by officers based on data
Continue Reading
NORCO, Calif. (KESQ) – Ex-Riverside Assemblyman Bill Essayli was sworn in today as the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California following his appointment Tuesday by Attorney General Pam Bondi Essayli, 39, was sworn in during a private ceremony by Chief U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee in downtown Los Angeles. Essayli now oversees the
Continue Reading BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – Jury selection began today in the trial of an 82-year-old man accused of fatally bludgeoning a senior who had invited him to stay at her and her husband’s Palm Springs home. Stephen Roy McKernan allegedly killed 75-year-old Claire Carsman in 2019. McKernan is charged with first-degree murder and sentence-enhancing allegations
Continue Reading
BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – A Banning man who sexually assaulted a developmentally disabled woman over a five-year span pleaded guilty today to forcible sexual penetration. Rene Leonel Robles Cerna, 39, admitted the felony charge under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for his admission, prosecutors agreed to drop six
Continue Reading
CABAZON, Calif. (KESQ) – Former Orange County Sheriff’s Department Capt. AJ Patella was named the new chief of the Morongo Tribal Police Department this week. “We are delighted to welcome AJ Patella as Morongo’s new Tribal Police Chief,” Morongo Tribal Chairman Charles Martin said in a statement Monday. “With his impressive police career stretching back
Continue Reading
PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – A fundraiser featuring artwork by canines will be held Friday in Palm Desert, officials said today. The event will be hosted by Guide Dogs of the Desert, a non-profit organization that provides mobility, companionship and independence for the blind with custom-trained dogs. The “Paw-casso” exhibit features artwork made by numerous
Continue Reading
GLENDALE, Calif. (KESQ) – A U.S. Army sergeant from Glendale was formally identified today as one of four soldiers who died in a training accident in Lithuania. The soldiers, who were aboard an M88 Hercules vehicle, disappeared March 25 during the training exercise in the town of Pabradé. They were found dead after a roughly
Continue Reading RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – The Board of Supervisors today approved a slate of fee hikes tied to Riverside County Department of Public Health services, under a fee schedule revised to reflect inflation-driven impacts to the agency. In a 3-0 vote — with Supervisors Yxstian Gutierrez and Chuck Washington absent — the board formally signed
Continue Reading
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will celebrate the Easter holiday with an Easter Sunrise Service at an altitude of 8,516 feet later this month, officials said today. The tramway, located at 1 Tramway, will hold the service April 20 at 5 a.m. with the first tram car to depart at
Continue Reading
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) – One person was killed and another person was injured after they fell from a 30-foot wall along the U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego, authorities said today. San Diego agents discovered two suspected migrants around 11 p.m. Monday after they fell from the wall, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Continue Reading