DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A foster caregiver from Desert Hot Springs was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of multiple counts of sexually assaulting children, authorities announced. Sergio Avalos Perez, 64, was arrested at around 5:30 p.m. on the 44000 block of Town Center Way. He was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in
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Update 1/20/26 The coroner identified the man killed in the crash as Ricardo Marano, 56, of Palm Springs. Police also announced that investigators identified the vehicle believed to be involved as a black 2005 Chevrolet Silverado. The vehicle was seized by officers on Tuesday in Thousand Palms. No arrests have been made; the investigation into the
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A probationer who gunned down an Indio woman without ever giving a clear reason why was sentenced today to 55 years to life in state prison. Johnny Jose Rodriguez, 32, of Indio pleaded guilty on Jan. 5 to second- degree murder, as well as sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations,
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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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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 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, 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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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A 53-year-old man accused in a stabbing on the CV Link pleaded not guilty to charges on Wednesday. Jacob Ethan Masters was charged with cruelty to elder/adult and assault with a deadly weapon, according to court records. He was arraigned at the Larson Justice Center in Indio Wednesday before Riverside County
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A 35-year-old Moreno Valley man suspected of stealing more than $20,000 in landscaping and construction equipment in Palm Springs was arrested, authorities said today. The suspect was booked into Benoit Detention Center in Indio on suspicion of grand theft and an enhanced penalty, according to the Palm Springs Police Department.
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – A Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy and a pedestrian were hospitalized after a crash stemming from a pursuit Wednesday morning in Palm Desert. The crash was reported just after 8:30 a.m. near Frank Sinatra Drive and Drexell Drive. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the incident started as a pursuit in the
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A man accused of sexually assaulting four women, several of whom were drugged, in the Coachella Valley must stand trial on nearly a dozen felony charges, a judge ruled today. Â Â Juan Carlos Segura Jr., 28, of Palm Springs was arrested in 2024 following a Palm Springs Police Department investigation. Â Â
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INDIO, Calif. (Jan. 8, 2026) – Grand jury transcripts unsealed in the indictment of Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez reveal dramatic testimony alleging that the longtime mayor used his public office to enrich himself – and allegedly bullied anyone who got in his way. The 467-page transcript, obtained by KESQ News Channel 3 provides an inside look
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A registered sex offender who pimped out a teenager for call girl services in the Riverside metropolitan area and elsewhere was sentenced today to 90 days in jail and two years’ felony probation. Â Â Deirdrick Dayvon Bradford, 31, of Rosamond pleaded guilty in November to human trafficking following a preliminary hearing.
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) KESQ News Channel Three has obtained the grand jury transcript that led to the indictment of Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez, offering a rare look at sworn testimony from current and former city leaders and regional officials about how City Hall operated behind closed doors. The more than 500-page transcript shows jurors heard
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Police have arrested a 53-year-old man in connection with a recent stabbing along the CV Link in Palm Springs. The suspect was arrested on Sunday near the CV Link trail in the area of the Cimarron Golf Course. He faces charges of attempted murder and resisting an officer. The arrest
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MURRIETA, Calif. (KESQ) – After deliberating barely one day, jurors tasked with assessing the mental competency of a man accused of ambushing and killing a 30-year-old Riverside County sheriff’s deputy returned with a verdict of competence, paving the way for a capital murder trial. The Murrieta jury assigned to the case of Jesse Ceazar Navarro,
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BUFFALO, New York (KESQ) – A fitness influencer from Palm Springs was arrested in Buffalo, New York, after an investigation into child exploitation. Jacob A. Hanes, 24, was charged with Promoting an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. According to the New
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BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – A suspect crashed into a vehicle while attempting to flee from deputies Wednesday morning in Banning. The incident started just before 8 a.m. when deputies responded to the area of Haugen Lehmann Way and Tamarack Road in Whitewater regarding a report of a stolen vehicle possibly involved in a robbery, according
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Update 1/2/26 19-year old Michael Dodd was charged with one count of murder and arraigned on Friday. Dodd is accused of killing 34-year old Francisco Lemus last Sunday night. Dodd is expected to be back in court on January 13th. Update 12/30/25 A 19-year-old man from Lancaster has been arrested in connection with the shooting,
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 INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) -Indio Police continue to investigate a fatal vehicle-versus-pedestrian hit-and-run crash that occurred on New Year’s Eve. The crash was reported just before 9 p.m. near the area of Van Buren Street south of Dr. Carreon Boulevard. Responding officers found a man in the roadway with significant injuries, according to the Indio Police Department.
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