RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ) – The Riverside County District Attorney filed a felony complaint on Friday against suspect Gohar Kagramanyan, charging her with violation of California Penal Code sections 422(a) and 422.6(a) – Criminal Threats and Hate Crimes. Her arraignment is scheduled for Monday, April 14 in Indio. Due to the nature and severity of
Continue Reading
MORONGO VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – A Morongo Valley woman was arrested on Wednesday, accused of possessing illegal drugs – and investigators say this isn’t the first time. On Wednesday night, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies made a traffic stop on the woman in the area of Sunburst Street and Hilltop Drive in Joshua Tree. Sheriff’s
Continue Reading
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) –Â U.S. Border Patrol agents at the El Centro Sector arrested two United States citizens on Tuesday, accusing them of attempting to smuggle two children illegally into the U.S. Agents report an SUV approached the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint, driven by a woman accompanied by another woman in the front passenger seat. Two
Continue Reading
MURRIETA, Calif. (KESQ) – A jury was seated Thursday for the trial of a 21-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting and trying to kidnap a Thermal girl as she walked through a field on her way home from school. Christian Daniel Arreola of Coachella was arrested in 2022 following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Office investigation
Continue Reading
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A convicted felon who choked his girlfriend to death during a domestic confrontation in the parking lot of an Indio condominium complex was awaiting sentencing today after being convicted of second-degree murder. An Indio jury on Wednesday found 44-year-old Eduardo Alvarez of Indio guilty of the 2020 slaying of 32-year-old Madeleine
Continue Reading
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – A Coachella Valley woman is among four Californians accused of perpetrating a seven-figure insurance scam that involved falsifying insurance policies, state officials said today. Â Â An investigation was launched by the California Department of Insurance following a consumer complaint regarding alleged forgery and insurance fraud in insurance policies. The scheme
Continue Reading
LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – Two Indio residents were among a trio arrested in connection with a train theft in Los Angeles County back in 2022. Nathan Munoz, 28, and Karla Torres, 28, both of Indio, along with David Palmer, 47, of Long Beach were arrested. They have been charged with multiple felonies, including Grand Theft
Continue Reading
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Police used de-escalation and tactical restraint to arrest a person armed with numerous weapons outside of the Palm Springs Walmart Tuesday night. The incident happened just after 11 p.m. at  5601 Ramon Road. “PSPD officers responded to a call at Walmart regarding a male subject armed with a knife and
Continue Reading
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – A 60-year-old Hemet man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence following a crash Wednesday afternoon in Cathedral City. The crash was first reported at around just before 1:50 p.m. near the intersection of Avenida Los Ninos and Ramon Road. According to the Cathedral City Police Department, first
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 made his initial court appearance today. Â Â Luis Alberto Gonzalez, 32, of Victorville was arrested last month along with Jose Estevan Chavarria Jr., 28, of Los Angeles
Continue Reading
PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) Â – Families, community members and city leaders gathered Tuesday night for an emotional vigil honoring Riverside County crime victims. The ceremony, held at Palm Desert Civic Center park, drew dozens of people. District Attorney Mike Hestrin led the vigil and addressed the crowd, pledging continued efforts to seek justice for victims
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
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
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A high-risk traffic stop near two schools in Indio led to a brief lockout Tuesday afternoon. The incident started at around 12:25 p.m. with a report of a dispute between a man and a woman on the 79000 block of State Highway 111 in La Quinta. “The reporting party advised witnessing
Continue Reading
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A Palm Springs police officer was hospitalized after being attacked while waking up an unconscious driver. The assault happened on Thursday just before 4:00 p.m. The officer initially responded to the call regarding the report of a driver, identified as Mitchell Harpole, 34, asleep in his vehicle while in the
Continue Reading
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A New York man was arrested in Fresno in relation to two unrelated crimes in Palm Springs last week. John Short, 63, of Massapequa, New York, is accused of two separate incidents where he was charged with criminal threats, stalking, and child abduction, Palm Springs police said on Monday. He
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 Update 4/4/25 The suspects, Luis Alberto Gonzalez, 32, of Victorville and Jose Estevan Chavarria Jr., 28, of Los Angeles, were charged on Friday. Chavarria was set to be arraigned in court on Friday in Riverside, however, court records show that was pushed back to Monday. Gonzalez is set to be arraigned on Tuesday, jail records
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. Â Â The checkpoint will be held from 7 p.m. Friday until 2 a.m. Saturday in Palm Springs, according to the department. Â Â The location of the checkpoint will be determined by officers based on data
Continue Reading