Crime

The defense will begin its case next week in the retrial of a convicted felon involved in a street racing crash in Rancho Mirage that killed an 81-year-old woman. Wade Klinton Wheeler, 41, of Rancho Mirage was driving the car that smashed into Barbara Schmitz’s sedan, fatally injuring her and severely injuring her husband, Gerald

The Palm Springs Police Department shared video of a thief stealing pool equipment at a home in an effort to help identify the suspect. The short video shows a man approaching a door at 12:30 a.m. on February 22. The man immediately goes to cover the camera, but the few seconds he is visible, he

A Texas mother pleaded guilty today to charges of taking her daughter from a Thousand Palms elementary school.    Sara Lee Almodovar, 38, pleaded guilty Friday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio to one felony count of child stealing and one misdemeanor count of assault on a school employee, according to court records. She’s

A Desert Hot Springs man pleaded guilty today to fatally shooting his brother’s ex-girlfriend in 2015 and was immediately sentenced to 15 Years to life in prison. Jesus Garza Jr., 31, of Desert Hot Springs pleaded guilty Thursday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio to one felony count of murder and was immediately sentenced.

One person was hospitalized after being shot in Indio, leading to a nearby school to be briefly placed on a lockdown. The shooting happened on the 82200 block of Valencia Avenue at around 1:55 p.m., according to Indio police spokesperson Ben Guitron. Details on the shooting were limited, but Guitron confirmed one person suffered non-life-threatening

A Joshua Tree resident was arrested Tuesday evening following a hit-and-run crash in the city of Palm Springs. The crash happened at around 7:35 p.m. on the 400 block of E. Tahquitz Canyon Way. Police learned that a vehicle traveling southbound on Calle Encilia struck a pedestrian within the crosswalk, while turning eastbound onto E.

Trial began today for a Desert Hot Springs man suspected of fatally shooting his wife of three years in their home and endangering their children, who were all under 4 years old. James Daniel Fidler III, 34, is charged with one felony count each of murder and inflicting corporal injury on a spouse, along with

A man suspected with two women in a retail theft at a La Quinta cosmetic store, from which $2,300 of merchandise was stolen, pleaded not guilty today to a felony charge. Derrick Yanders of Fontana, 18, was charged with one felony count of grand theft over $950, as was Khamyra Smith, 19, of Moreno Valley

A former Riverside County Sheriff’s Correctional Deputy could face five years in prison after pleading guilty to extorting female inmates on home detention as part of an extortion scheme. Christian Phillip Heidecker, 32, of Menifee agreed to a five-year prison sentence on Friday after pleading guilty to five counts of extortion, four counts of witness

A multi-convicted DUI offender accused of killing an off-duty Riverside County sheriff’s deputy and his 19-year-old daughter in a driving-under-the-influence wreck north of San Jacinto must stand trial on two counts of second-degree murder and other charges, a judge ruled today. Scott Brandon Bales, 48, of Moreno Valley allegedly caused the 2022 collision that claimed

A 23-year-old schizophrenic and chronic marijuana user who fatally shot a young man and woman as they watched a movie at a Corona theater was sentenced today to life in prison without the possibility of parole.    Joseph Jimenez was declared sane at the conclusion of a bench trial in December, clearing the way for

A 43-year-old man who allegedly injured someone during a robbery in Palm Desert pleaded not guilty today to felony charges.    Carlos Quilon of Palm Desert was charged with one felony count each of assault on a person causing great bodily injury, robbery, burglary, assault with a deadly weapon to cause great bodily injury, dissuading