Crime

An ex-con was convicted today of attempted murder for shooting a man in the head over a missing cellphone in Indio last March. An Indio jury deliberated one day before finding John Kevin Medina, 40, of Indio guilty of the felony count, and finding true several gun and bodily injury sentence-enhancing allegations. Riverside County Superior

A probationer who embezzled more than $400,000 while employed at an addiction treatment center in Rancho Mirage pleaded guilty today to several felony charges and was immediately sentenced to more than six years in state prison. Kelly Michelle Barnes, 42, entered guilty pleas in four separate criminal cases at the Larson Justice Center in Indio

A judge confirmed today that prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty against an Indio man accused in the beating and shaking death of his 3-month-old son. Leonardo Daniel Alvarado Fernandez, 34, and Zue Urias, 27, were arrested 14 months ago, after police responded to a report that they had brought their dead infant, Marco,

The family of a pregnant 18-year-old woman who was killed in a crash in Indio earlier this month are continuing to their quest for justice. Her family was out at the site of the crash on Monroe Street Tuesday morning holding up signs calling for people to help identify the driver who fled the scene.

An Indio man was arrested today on suspicion of opening fire on a vehicle in Coachella last month. The suspect was booked at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on suspicion of assault with a firearm and shooting at an occupied vehicle. Bail information was not immediately available. The Feb. 3 shooting was reported

Nearly a dozen felony charges were filed today against a felon accused of taking part in a violent armed robbery inside the gated community that houses the Arnold Palmer PGA West golf course in La Quinta. Luis Jose Leyva Jr., 32, of Desert Hot Springs was arrested last Friday on suspicion of joining three other

Police were investigating a high-speed collision that set an SUV on fire, the occupants of the vehicle fleeing the crash scene. Palm Springs Police say a motorist was driving at a high rate of speed and collided with a barricade at the north dead-end of North Sunrise Way just before midnight Thursday. Officers at the

A man convicted of raping children in multiple states could be ordered to live in Twentynine Palms, despite having no connection to the area. Last week, Orange County Superior Court tentatively ordered Lawtis Donald Rhoden, 72, to live in Twentynine Palms. Rhoden has been convicted of underage sexual assaults in Orange County, Los Angeles County,

Residents in a Coachella neighborhood remain in shock after thieves broke into a home and stole three dogs from a family. The theft happened on Monday in the area of Avenue 48 and Calhoun Street. Surveillance video from across the street shows three suspects jumping the fence into the home of Victor Higuera, the owner

UPDATE 4/1/21 Ismael Gaspar pleaded guilty to all charges. He is scheduled to be sentences on May 13. More Details: Ride-hailing driver pleads guilty to sexually assaulting 13-year-old at a Palm Desert resort Original Story 3/17/21 Trial proceedings for a ride-hailing driver accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl at a Palm Desert resort were

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco released video and audio recorded around the time that a 60-year-old Indio man was gunned down by law enforcement personnel in La Quinta at the end of a chase after allegedly threatening his estranged wife. “When we have a critical incident, we want to share as much information as possible

The California Highway Patrol released surveillance video Monday showing a pursuit that ended in an officer-involved shooting. One man was killed in the La Quinta confrontation back in January. Video from two CHP patrol units was released to News Channel 3 Monday afternoon. The vehicles weren’t directly involved in the pursuit of the suspect, but

A 23-year-old Palm Desert man who tossed a Molotov cocktail into a Republican group’s office in the Coachella Valley entered a guilty plea today and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Carlos Espriu, who firebombed the East Valley Republican Women Federated office in the 78-800 block of Highway 111 in La

A young woman seriously injured when a vehicle she was a passenger in crashed into a power pole earlier this week in Indio has been pronounced dead. Ben Guitron, public information officer for Indio Police, confirmed that the woman, identified as an 18-year-old from Cathedral City, was pronounced dead on Friday morning. The woman riding

A Palm Desert man who tossed a Molotov cocktail into a Republican group’s office in the Coachella Valley is slated to plead guilty in federal court on Monday to a felony charge in which he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Carlos Espriu, 23, entered into a plea agreement with the

Two young men who caused a collision that killed a bicyclist in Rancho Mirage pleaded guilty today to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and were immediately sentenced to two years probation in lieu of jail time. Luis Armando Castaneda, 23, and Alex Isidro Quiroz, 24, were arrested almost a year after 32-year-old Cathedral City resident

Palm Springs restaurant owners can breathe a sigh of relief. Police announced on Tuesday that they have located and arrested a serial dine-and-dasher. We first reported on this dine-and-dasher last week. It was the same story for many restaurants in downtown Palm Springs. A man would enjoy his meal, then leave without paying. According to

The Cathedral City Police Department is continuing to investigate a shooting near Verona Road & Avenida Quintana that left two young hospitalized Monday night. Police said officers were called to the area of Verona Road & Avenida Quintana at approximately 7:40 p.m. On the 28700 block of Avenia Condesa, officers found an 18-year-old with a