A 20-year-old woman who allegedly joined two young men in robbing and killing a Riverside man in his apartment must stand trial for first-degree murder, a judge ruled today. Merlin Perales Ortiz of Yucca Valley was arrested in December 2020 following a Riverside Police Department investigation into the slaying of 20-year-old Wesley Flores Miranda. After
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Jurors in the trial for Palm Springs quadruple murder suspect Jose Larin Garcia heard today from key forensic experts: a crime scene technician, a fingerprint examiner and a blood expert. The defense argues blood spatter on Larin Garcia’s clothing is the only evidence linking him to the murders, saying it’s there because he was a
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There was an intense debate in court Tuesday in the trial for Palm Springs quadruple murder suspect Jose Larin Garcia over how he left the hospital following the February 2019 killings. The prosecution says Larin Garcia fled the emergency room running from police, but the defense hopes to convince the jury he was discharged. Prosecutors
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Two men arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old man in Indio a month ago pleaded not guilty today to murder charges. Christian Brooks Andrade of La Quinta, 20, and Adrian Vega of Coachella, 22, were arrested Thursday on suspicion of fatally shooting 24-year-old Alejandro Lupercio of Indio, the Indio Police Department
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A man accused of break-ins and a shooting was found injured by officers in Palm Springs. The whole incident began Thursday at 12:55 a.m. That’s when police were called to the 1600 block of Via Entrada to respond to reports from a person who said their neighboring condominium was robbed and the suspect had shot
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Leo Phillip Huerta, 40, of Yucca Valley was arrested after authorities said he attempted to meet a minor for lewd purposes. The investigation that led to Huerta’s arrest dates back to Dec. 15, 2021. CC Unit, an organization that works to catch online predators, told News Channel 3 that they confronted Huerta after learning that
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In the trial for the Palm Springs quadruple murder suspect Wednesday, prosecutors poked holes in several contradictions from one witness, and it was difficult at points for an investigator to talk about what she saw the night of the murders. Palm Springs police officer Lauren Bixler took the stand and testified about photographing the scene
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Riverside County law enforcement officials today joined a state lawmaker and families of victims “poisoned” by fentanyl, calling on the public to support legislative and other efforts aimed at stemming the “tide and scourge” of the deadly synthetic drug. The initial goal of the gathering was to rally behind state Sen. Melissa Melendez’s Senate Bill
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A 33-year-old woman accused of facilitating repeated acts of sexual abuse against a Coachella Valley girl at the hands of a Palm Springs man pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 60 months of probation today. Aura Rivera Vidal of Coachella was arrested in February 2021 and charged with one felony count of
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More testimony was given Tuesday in the murder trial for Jose Larin Garcia, the Cathedral City man accused of fatally shooting four people in Palm Springs in 2019. Jurors heard from a weapons expert who testified about forensic evidence collected from the murder scenes. Department of Justice forensics specialist Nancy McCombs took the stand, telling
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Authorities have released the identity of a man killed in an officer/deputy-involved shooting in Beaumont on New Year’s Eve. Dennis McHugh, 44, of Glendora was pronounced dead in the early morning hours of Dec. 31, 2021. The incident started when deputies responded to a domestic violence call in Woodcrest, located near Perris. When deputies arrived,
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Palm Springs Police were on the scene of what they say was a murder committed outside a fast-food restaurant on the 5600 block of East Ramon Road early Tuesday morning. Officers were called to the front of Raising Cane’s at 1:21 a.m. A police spokesperson said initial information was very limited. He said there was a male victim who had yet to be
Continue Reading Court was back in session in Indio Monday in the trial for Jose Larin Garcia, the man accused of killing four people in Palm Springs nearly three years ago. Jurors heard from John Olvera, the 18-year-old man the defense has argued is responsible. Questioned under oath on the witness stand, Olvera told the jury unequivocally
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A judge today ordered a psychiatric evaluation to determine the mental competency of a 20-year-old probationer accused of beating a 78-year-old Riverside woman to death during a home invasion robbery. Sixto Jesus Garcia Pena of Palm Springs was arrested last January following a Riverside police investigation into the slaying of Denise Irene Wong. Pena is
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A police investigation is underway in La Quinta. A spokesperson for the Riverside County Sheriff Department confirms that one person is dead but says that foul play is not suspected in this case. There are no suspects. Roads are closed near Avenida Villa at Sonora and Calle Durango in the Cove area of the city.
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A 55-year-old motorist who allegedly struck and killed a woman trying to help an injured wild burro just north of Moreno Valley was charged today with second-degree murder. Martin Joel Ramirez-Hernandez, 55, of Mecca is slated to make his initial court appearance this afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice. The crash happened on the
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The Indio police have arrested a suspect in the deadly stabbing of a man at an Indio park. The stabbing happened on the evening of Dec. 6, 2021 at Miles Ave Park. Officers said they arrived at the scene and found a man with a stab wound. Officers immediately provided first aid until medics arrived.
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Police are looking for three suspected wanted in connection with a smash-and-grab robbery at a store in Cabazon. The robbery happened Wednesday at approximately 1:15 p.m. at a business on the 48000 block of Seminole Drive. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, three male suspects entered the business and took property by breaking several
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Two people were rushed to the hospital after a hit-and-run crash involving a motorcycle at an Indio intersection Tuesday evening. Indio Police spokesperson Ben Guitron said there were two crashes at the intersection of Jefferson Street and Miles Avenue. The first crash was reported at approximately 5:15 p.m. It involved a vehicle and a motorcycle.
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Trial proceedings for a former youth soccer coach accused of molesting five girls at a Thermal middle school was rescheduled to next month. Juan Manuel Pantoja, 26, of Salton City was arrested in March 2020 in connection with offenses he allegedly committed in 2019 while employed at Toro Canyon Middle School. Pantoja, who is being
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