MECCA, Calif. (KESQ) – Dos personas fueron arrestadas en relación con el homicidio de una joven de 17 años que ocurrió en la comunidad de Mecca en el 2025. Christopher Placencia Balderrama, de 19 años y residente en Thermal, fue ingresado en el Centro de Detención de Benoit como sospechoso de asesinato, según el Departamento
Continue Reading MECCA, Calif. (KESQ) – Two Coachella Valley residents were arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old girl in the community of Mecca in 2025, authorities said today. Christopher Placencia Balderrama, 19, of Thermal, was booked into the Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of murder, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. He
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – The city of Palm Desert is honoring a man whose work helped change humanity’s understanding of the universe. Frank Locatell, one of the principal architects behind NASA’s Voyager missions, was recognized for a legacy that stretches far beyond Earth. Designed in the 1970s, Voyager One and Two went on to
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COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – Steven Hernandez is now also out as chief of staff for Supervisor Manuel Perez, a day after Coachella’s ex-mayor pleaded guilty to a conflict of interest charge. “Steven Hernandez no longer working for the County of Riverside. Supervisor Perez terminated his employment today,” reads a message from Darin Schemmer, Perez’s communications
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COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – A man and an infant were injured after a crash along Highway 86 in Coachella. The crash was reported at around 5:25 p.m. on Highway 86 south of 50th Avenue. Early reports from the California Highway Patrol stated that there was a person and two infants in the vehicle. CHP confirmed
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Dog Days at The Living Desert was so popular, it’s coming back. Zoo officials said the event will return on March 30, April 17, and May 3. Well-behaved, leashed dogs of all sizes are welcome to explore both the zoo and gardens Dog Day offers an enriching experience for both
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WHITEWATER, Calif. (KESQ) – Traffic is backing up on the westbound side of Interstate 10 due to smoke from a big rig fire at the Whitewater Rest Area. The non-injury blaze was reported shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday near the Whitewater rest area exit, according to the California Highway Patrol. The agency stated that a
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A teenager died from a flu-related illness, the first confirmed pediatric flu death of the 2025-2026 flu season in Riverside County, health officials announced Thursday. According to the Riverside University Health System – Public Health (RUHS – PH), the western Riverside County teen died in early March and was identified through death records. The teen was not believed to have
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Three people were displaced after a palm tree fire spread into a residential structure Wednesday afternoon in Indio. The fire was first reported at around 5:15 p.m. on the 79000 Block of Bethpage Avenue. “Firefighters responded to reports of a residential structure fire, and the first arriving chief officer reported a
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COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – El consejo municipal de Coachella ha iniciado el proceso para seleccionar a los candidatos idóneos para ocupar el cargo de alcalde tras la dimisión del exalcalde Steven Andrew Hernández, quien admitió haber cometido un delito grave. “Aunque se trata de una situación desafortunada para las personas afectadas, el ayuntamiento y el
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MECCA, California (KESQ) – La policía ha encontrado a una persona con heridas de bala cerca de un parque en Mecca el martes por la noche. El tiroteo se denunció poco antes de las 8 p.m. en la zona de la Coahuilla Street y 6th Street. No se disponía de información sobre el estado de
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MECCA, Calif. (KESQ) – An 18-year-old man was shot and killed Tuesday night near the Mecca Sports Complex, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies from the Thermal Sheriff’s Station responded at about 7:58 p.m. to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon at the intersection of Coahuilla Street and 6th Street
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CABAZON, Calif. (KESQ) – An RV fire in the Cabazon area burned roughly 21 acres of vegetation, prompting evacuation orders and warnings before it was stopped, with no injuries reported. The fire was first reported just after 1:50 p.m. near the area of Almond Street and Bonita Avenue. At one point, the fire’s size was
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will be closed for scheduled maintenance on Tuesday, officials announced. It will be a short closure, with the tram set to reopen the next day. Officials said during the closure, the Tramway’s maintenance team will shorten the counter haul rope. According to Vice President of
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – El alcalde de Coachella, Steven Hernández, se ha declarado culpable de un delito grave por conflicto de intereses. Hernández fue condenado a dos años de libertad condicional, un día de prisión —con el tiempo ya cumplido descontado— y 200 horas de servicios comunitarios, además de multas y tasas. Los ocho cargos
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THERMAL, California (KESQ) – Una persona ha fallecido y otras tres han resultado gravemente heridas tras una colisión frontal entre dos vehículos ocurrida el viernes por la tarde en Thermal. El accidente se produjo alrededor de las 14:05 h en el número 58000 de la avenida Fillmore, cerca de la avenida 58. La Patrulla de
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Dolores Robinson, a longtime Hollywood manager recognized as the first black female personal manager in film and television, received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars on Friday. Robinson’s star is located at 849 N. Palm Canyon Drive. Robinson received the star in the entertainment category for
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KESQ) – El equipo femenino de fútbol de Coachella Valley High School perdió el la final estatal el viernes en Sacramento. Las Lady Arabs cayeron por 4-1 ante el instituto Marin Catholic, campeón regional del norte de California, en el instituto Natomas de Sacramento, California. Las Lady Arabs se proclamaron campeonas de la
Continue Reading SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KESQ) – The Coachella Valley High School Girls Soccer Team fell in the state finals game Friday in Sacramento. The Lady Arabs lost 4-1 to Marin Catholic High School, the Northern California Regional Champions, at Natomas High School in Sacramento, California. The Lady Arabs won the CIF Division 5 and the CIF State Regional championships for the
Continue Reading UPDATE 3/14/2026 Authorities have identified the person killed in the crash as 25-year-old Daysi Olivas of Thermal. 3/13/2026 THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – One person was killed and three others seriously injured after a head-on two-vehicle collision Friday afternoon in Thermal. The crash was reported at around 2:05 p.m. on the 58000 block of Fillmore Avenue,
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