INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A jury was seated today for the trial of a man accused of providing a deadly dose of fentanyl to a 22-year-old Rancho Mirage resident on New Year’s Day 2022. Riley Jacob Hagar, 28, of Cathedral City is charged with second-degree murder for the death of Travis O’Brien. After more
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A Jurupa Valley woman partly responsible for her 1-year-old son’s ingestion of a deadly dose of fentanyl was bound for state prison today to serve a sentence of 12 years, four months behind bars after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and another felony. Sandy Alyssa Acuna, 25, admitted the manslaughter count,
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A man partly responsible for supplying a deadly dose of fentanyl to a 35-year-old Riverside resident was sentenced today to six years in state prison. David Ray Mullins, 48, of Jurupa Valley pleaded guilty on Feb. 6 to involuntary manslaughter and two counts of possession of controlled substances for sale under
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SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) – Kristi Noem, Department of Homeland Security Secretary, visited the Otay Mesa detention facility today to tout the border’s security and denounce Democrats for failing to fund her department, likely leading to a shutdown Saturday. Mike Banks, chief of the United States Border Patrol, joined Noem, along with San Diego County
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A man and woman responsible for supplying a deadly dose of fentanyl to a 35-year-old Riverside resident pleaded guilty today to felony charges, while trial proceedings were tentatively scheduled next week for a third defendant. Jaclyn Christine Sherman, 32, of Riverside and David Ray Mullins, 48, of Jurupa Valley both reached
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SAN DIEGO (CNS) – More than a half-billion dollars worth of fentanyl was seized in California over the past five years as part of expanded drug enforcement efforts at the southern border, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday in San Diego. More than 50 million fentanyl pills worth an estimated $506 million and weighing 34,357 pounds
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By Kit Maher, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday classifying “illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals” as weapons of mass destruction — though it was not immediately clear what practical effect that might have. “Today I’m taking one more step to protect Americans from the scourge of deadly fentanyl
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CULVER CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – A potentially life-saving initiative will see fentanyl test strips distributed to students and their families by the Culver City Unified School District in a pilot program approved this week, officials announced today. A unanimous decision was reached at Tuesday’s meeting of the CCUSD Board of Education to provide free, pocket-sized
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In continuing coverage, the death of former local Assemblymember Brian Nestande was back in the headlines on Tuesday. News Channel 3 is confirming with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office that all fentanyl deaths are investigated as a homicide. As we reported back in May 2024, an autopsy report confirms the former state assembly member died of
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A Palm Desert man was sentenced to prison for supplying a lethal dose of fentanyl to a 30-year-old man in 2022. Gregory Michael Gauto, 39, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter Thursday and immediately sentenced to six years, The case dates back to Sept. 26, 2022, when deputies responded to a report
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SANTA ANA, Calif. (KESQ) – Fentanyl-related deaths saw a five-year low in Orange County, authorities said today. There were 407 fentanyl-related deaths in the county last year, down from 613 in 2023. Sheriff’s officials say the trend is continuing this year so far. According to the Orange County Health Care Agency, there were 20
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MURRIETA (CNS) – A 21-year-old man accused of providing a fatal dose of fentanyl to a Murrieta resident will be tried in federal court, instead of state court, after he was indicted for the offenses by a federal grand jury, prosecutors confirmed today. Miguel Angel Gonzalez was arrested last year following an investigation by the
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A convicted drug dealer who supplied a deadly dose of fentanyl to a 30-year-old Temecula man was convicted today of murder. It is the second fentanyl-related murder conviction in Riverside County. After deliberating less than a day, a Riverside jury on Wednesday found Quinn Aaron McKellips, 39, of Winchester guilty in
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COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – A tragic case in Desert Hot Springs is shining a spotlight on the growing danger of fentanyl — not just for users, but for the most vulnerable: children. An I-Team investigation has uncovered two separate cases in the last two years where children under the age of four died from
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SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) – The U.S. Border Patrol San Diego Sector today announced an increase in drug smuggling attempts using car batteries. Over the past couple months, border officers have intercepted multiple loads of drugs concealed under the hood of vehicles inside the battery, according to the agency. “As we continue to gain
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By Rob McMillan Click here for updates on this story RANCHO CUCAMONGA, California (KABC) — A Rancho Cucamonga woman is fighting for justice after her 10-year-old son Nathanial died from exposure to fentanyl. Not only does Marcy Castro think the person who did it should be charged with murder, but she’s advocating for tougher punishments
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SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) – An indictment was unsealed today charging multiple alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel with narco-terrorism and material support of terrorism, in what was described as the first indictment returned in the nation levying terrorism charges against the cartel’s leadership. The indictment follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump
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THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – Two adults were transported to the hospital after being exposed to what was originally believed to be fentanyl, but later determined not to be, at Desert Mirage High School, authorities said. The incident was reported just after 1 p.m. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office was called to assist CAL FIRE, who
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It’s a deadly crisis gripping communities across the nation, and the Coachella Valley is no exception. Tuesday is National Fentanyl Awareness Day, and the DEA is teaming up with local agencies to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and the staggering impact it’s having on families. Fentanyl is now considered the greatest drug threat
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – As festival season kicks off, College of the Desert is stepping up efforts to prevent overdose deaths by providing free safety kits equipped with Narcan and Fentanyl test strips to students. The initiative started earlier this year. Carlos Maldonado, Interim Dean of Students Support Services, said the goal is simple:
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