Crime

A sentencing hearing was suspended today for a 30-year-old motorist who perpetrated a series of unexplained attacks on fellow drivers and one bicyclist throughout Palm Springs and is now seeking another psychological evaluation to determine whether he’s eligible for treatment in lieu of prison.   A Riverside jury in March convicted Juaquin Mercer Moraga of Palm

The court granted a defense motion on Friday to place Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Christian J. Lopez in a misdemeanor diversion program for his alleged involvement in the 2023 crash that killed bicyclist Christopher Thomas. According to the Riverside County District Attorney’s office, District Attorney Mike Hestrin was opposed to the motion. The court ruling

A Palm Springs Police Department employee accused of fatally rear-ending a 31-year-old motorcyclist, another off-duty PSPD employee, pleaded not guilty today to second-degree murder and other offenses. Juliana Leigh Granados, 25, of Cathedral City allegedly killed 31-year-old PSPD Community Services Officer Nicholas Griego on Thanksgiving. Along with murder, Granados is charged with DUI gross vehicular

An April 7 trial date was confirmed today for a 23-year-old man accused with two others in a shooting at a Coachella Valley residence. Caillou Marcus Renteria of Coachella is charged with attempted murder, shooting at an inhabited dwelling and a sentence-enhancing gun use allegation for the 2022 attack. During a status hearing at the

Two suspected vandals accused of causing more than $10,000 of damage to public and private property in Coachella Valley made initial court appearances today. Austin Levens of Desert Hot Springs and Jayce Creeden of Rancho Mirage, who were 27 and 23 at the time of arrest, respectively, each pleaded not guilty to a felony count

A Palm Springs resident accused of fatally shooting a man in Desert Hot Springs in 2022 must stand trial on a murder charge, a judge ruled today. Richard Douglas Taylor Jr., 33, was held to answer Wednesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. He previously pleaded not guilty to a felony murder count —

A person was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after a two-vehicle crash in Palm Desert Tuesday afternoon. The crash was reported at around 1:10 p.m. near Cook Street and 42nd Avenue. “One of the vehicles was a truck containing pool cleaning chemicals, which spilled as a result of the collision,” writes Lieutenant

A Marine has been arrested on suspicion of killing his wife in Twentynine Palms, authorities announced. U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Carlos Zamudio, 23, from Twentynine Palms, was arrested early Sunday morning at the Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree, after being accused of the murder of Savannah Encke, 21, of Twentynine Palms. According to the

One person was arrested for driving under the influence and possession of a loaded firearm at a Palm Desert DUI checkpoint Friday night. Riverside Sheriff’s conducted the checkpoint from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Fred Waring Drive and Portola Avenue. Authorities announced Saturday the checkpoint also yielded 32 citations. Of those, 29 people were

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