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THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – Reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity Thursday in Thermal raised concerns for parents and staff near the Coachella Valley Unified School District. There was an unconfirmed sighting of an ICE checkpoint at Avenue 70 and Harrison Street, the Coachella Valley Teachers Association said on social media Thursday. The
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COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – If 2025 was the year of dipping our toes into AI, then 2026 is the year we jump in. AI has crept into almost every industry, forcing a reckoning with how some professionals do their job. But for law enforcement, agencies across the nation have yet to incorporate regular AI
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Police Department is unveiling a new asset that it said will “enhance emergency response and crime prevention throughout the Coachella Valley.” It’s called the Coachella Valley Real-Time Intelligence Center, or CVRTIC. The public safety hub integrates several data sources, including body-worn cameras, license plate readers, drones, social media
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – More than 200 people were cited today during a multi-agency traffic safety enforcement operation throughout the Coachella Valley. The operation was held from 6 a.m. to noon Thursday in the cities of Palm Desert, Indian Wells and Rancho Mirage, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Twenty-two law enforcement officers
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Three people were rescued after a car ended up crashing off the parking lot below the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway station. The accident happened on Thursday, just before 10 a.m. at 1 Tramway Road. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Palm Springs Fire (@palmspringsfire) “Palm Springs Firefighters
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – City officials will host a free, family-friendly day celebrating Black History Month, slated for next month in downtown Indio, officials announced. The community celebration will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Feb. 7 at Center Stage, 82881 Miles Ave. In partnership with the city’s Black History Committee, the event will
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Update – 2/3/26: Jorge Andres Huerta Arias was cleared of all charges, the jury ruled. Original Report – 1/15/26 INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A man accused of fatally shooting a Halloween partygoer in La Quinta more than six years ago intentionally initiated hostilities, a prosecutor claimed today, while the defendant’s attorney argued his client encountered
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) Melissa Galataud, principal of Nellie Coffman Middle School, has been named Riverside County’s Principal of the Year. The surprise announcement was made Thursday morning during a principals’ meeting at the Palm Springs Unified School District District Service Center in Palm Springs. Riverside County Superintendent Edwin Gomez presented the honor alongside district
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – In celebration of Black History Month, two Black authors will discuss their books at the second annual “Our Voices Our Stories: Celebrating Black Authors” next month at Mizell Center, the Palm Springs Public Library announced today. The free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb.
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The controversial statue of former Palm Springs mayor Frank Bogert will remain in storage after the city council voided a recent decision by the Art Commission on its new location. The decision came in a closed session meeting. City Attorney Jeffrey Ballinger said the commission’s vote is considered void as
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – The family of a 68-year-old undocumented migrant who died at a local hospital while under ICE custody is speaking out to News Channel 3. Luis Beltrán Yanez-Cruz, an undocumented man from Honduras, died on Jan. 6 after being admitted to JFK Memorial for heart-related health issues, Immigration and Customs Enforcement says.
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Originally Published: 14 JAN 26 21:57 ETUpdated: 14 JAN 26 23:04 ETBy Danya Gainor, CNN (CNN) — A Venezuelan migrant was shot in the leg by a federal law enforcement officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday evening after resisting arrest and “violently assaulting” an officer, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement, as the
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Dozens of Democrats of the Desert and friends activists gathered Wednesday afternoon in front of the Social Security Administration (SSA) building in Indio. Organizers said they’re trying to draw attention to what they describe as growing turmoil within the agency and threats to the program’s ability to serve Americans. Debbie Green,
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COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – A free Health Fair and Fun Run will be held Feb. 6 at Temalpakh Farm in Coachella, organizers announced today. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will begin with a run that will receive a traditional elder blessing and a be accompanied by music played
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – A 21-year-old man was sentenced for his role in a Palm Desert shooting. Jorge Arturo Morales of Cathedral City pleaded guilty to attempted murder, assault with a gun, and stalking charges. He was immediately sentenced to 14 years and 8 months in prison. Morales was arrested along with Jaden Xavier
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COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – Recent rainfall has pushed the entire state out of drought conditions for the first time in a quarter century. The Coachella Valley has long been known to rely on its own aquifer, managed by water authorities like the Coachella Valley Water District. The underground source of water is finite; natural annual rainfall
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — The Palm Springs Animal Shelter has rescued five puppies found abandoned in a parking lot, marking another troubling case in the Coachella Valley. Shelter officials say a good Samaritan discovered the puppies last Friday inside an open box. The puppies are believed to be a pug mix and are estimated
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) Silvercrest CEO William Frank Rodriguez appeared in court Wednesday in connection with a 2024 deadly hit-and-run crash in Cathedral City. Rodriguez faces a felony hit-and-run charge tied to a crash that killed 60-year-old Christina Barrington. Prosecutors allege Rodriguez fled the scene without stopping to render aid. The hearing was continued until March
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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KESQ) News Channel 3 has confirmed that Jake Mitchell Haro, convicted in the 2025 killing of his 7-month-old son Emmanuel, is currently housed at California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo. Haro was transferred from Wasco State Prison, where he was first sent following his sentencing last fall. Haro pleaded guilty
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COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – A former Coachella Valley Unified School District janitor was arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography, authorities confirmed Wednesday. The 20-year-old Coachella resident was arrested on Jan. 7. He remains in custody at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on suspicion of invasion of privacy and possession of child pornography.
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