Crime

A 31-year-old convicted felon acquitted of trying to kill two men at a Coachella convenience store but found guilty of illegally possessing a firearm while on bail was sentenced today, but the term of imprisonment was summarily rescinded because he had already satisfied the sentence during his time waiting in jail to be tried. Alonso

Prosecution testimony is expected to conclude before the end of the week in the trial of an Indio man accused of gunning down his cousin in an ambush outside an apartment complex because he felt that the victim had been disrespectful.   Raymond Hernandez, 26, is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, shooting

A 30-year-old man accused of forcing a motorist at gunpoint to lead sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase in Mecca in 2020 was ordered to stand trial today. Gutberto Antonio Rodriguez was arrested Sept. 3, 2020 in North Shore after being on the run for several weeks. Along with the kidnapping count, Rodriguez is charged

Jury selection is now underway in the retrial of David Replogle, one of four men previously convicted for the murder of a retired Palm Springs art dealer 10 years ago. In 2012, Replogle, Kaushal Niroula, Daniel Garcia, and Miguel Bustamante were each sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Clifford Lambert, 74. Clifford Lambert

Officials have confirmed a man killed in a crash during a police pursuit last week in Twentynine Palms was a Marine. The coroner’s office identified the man as Stephen Bradley Rainoff, 25, of Twentynine Palms. On Wednesday, Marine officials confirmed that Rainoff was part of the 1st Marine Division stationed at the Twentynine Palms base.

A 29-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a man in Cathedral City pleaded not guilty to murder charges today. Daniel Morales Jr. of Cathedral City was arrested Thursday on suspicion of killing Juan Gonzalez, 48, according to the Cathedral City Police Department. Daniel Morales Jr. On Monday, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office charged Morales

A probationer accused of gunning down the 24-year-old mother of his children in Desert Hot Springs was ordered today to stand trial.   Jesse Rico Valenzuela, 29, of Desert Hot Springs, is charged with murder for the killing of Amina Duro in November 2020.   He is also charged with two felony counts of being a felon

A 30-year-old man who was accused of shooting at three men at a Coachella convenience store in 2015, injuring two of them, was acquitted today of attempted murder and assault charges, but convicted of illegally possessing a firearm.   Alonso Vega Aguilar was originally charged with two felony counts of attempted murder and one felony count

A self-proclaimed gang leader from Palm Springs was sentenced today to nearly 22 years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine on five occasions, following a series of previous convictions, prosecutors said today.   Efrain Chavez, 37, pleaded guilty in November to five counts of distributing methamphetamine, admitting that he sold a total of roughly 6.3 pounds

Three suspects were arrested after a kidnapping call led to a short police chase in Palm Springs Monday afternoon. The incident began at approximately 3:48 p.m. in the area of 5200 E Ramon Road. Police officials said a witness reported seeing a man get assaulted and forced into a white sedan occupied by three men.

One person has been arrested in connection with a shooting that killed a 48-year-old man in Cathedral City, although, police continue to search for a second suspect involved. The shooting happened Thursday at around 3:30 p.m. on Shifting Sands and Misson Indian Trail. Police identified the victim as Juan Gonzalez, 48. Hours later, police were