Crime

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

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

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.

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

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

A search warrant was served at a home in Palm Desert Monday night, drawing a heavy police presence in the area for a few hours. Deputies searched a home near the intersection of California Drive and Tennessee Avenue. Our crew at the scene confirmed that law enforcement was on a loudspeaker ordering someone to come

Prosecution testimony will continue Thursday in the trial of a Cathedral City man accused of gunning down four people in Palm Springs three years ago. Jose Larin-Garcia, 22, is charged with four counts of murder stemming from the February 2019 shootings in which the victims, ages 17 to 25, were found dead at two separate

Deputies are investigating an armed robbery at a hiking trail in Bermuda Dunes. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, at around 3:35 p.m., deputies were called to a strong-armed robbery that occurred on the Willis Palms Trailhead in Bermuda Dunes. “While en-route to the scene, dispatch advised that the suspect had displayed a firearm during

Firing guns to ring in 2022 could mean criminal prosecution, so don’t do it, Indio police said today. “Discharging firearms in the air endangers the public’s safety,” the Indio Police Department said in a statement. “Remember, what goes up will ultimately come down.” The agency posted the warning along with messages exhorting residents not to

A convicted felon from Orange County was allegedly caught by Riverside County sheriff’s deputies in Coachella with a rifle. The arrest culminated in an investigation that led to the seizure of a large quantity of drugs, including fentanyl. The man, identified as a 29-year-old from Westminister, was arrested and booked into the Smith Correctional Facility