Crime

 A 46-year-old man accused of gunning down a motel guest during an altercation in Riverside must stand trial for murder and other offenses, a judge ruled today. Robert Donald Intong of Desert Hot Springs was arrested in 2021 following a Riverside Police Department investigation into the slaying of 31-year-old Cole William Birchard. At the end

Update 01/26/23 The Riverside County Sheriff’s Dept confirmed that three teenagers were arrested. The incident started at around 3:00 p.m. when Gang Task Force Officers attempted to conduct a vehicle stop on an SUV occupied by four suspects near the 43000 block of Clinton Street in Indio. The vehicle failed to stop but then ended

A woman was behind bars at the John Benoit Detention Center today on suspicion of mailing methamphetamine and fentanyl to an inmate at the same correctional facility. The woman, a 35-year-old from Indio, was booked on suspicion of possession of narcotics, willful harm to a child and smuggling controlled substances into jail, according to inmate

A San Pedro man pleaded guilty today to his involvement in an armed robbery last year at a Palm Desert jewelry store and was immediately sentenced to eight years and four months of state prison. Rayjon Thorton, 26, pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon to one felony count each of robbery and being a convicted felon and

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, is seeking to stiffen federal penalties for mail theft amid ongoing acts of thievery throughout the Inland Empire and elsewhere. “Americans continue to suffer from dramatic increases in mail theft here and around the country,” Calvert said on Tuesday. “It’s clear we must send a stronger message and have a more

A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after crashing into a restaurant in Twentynine Palms. The crash happened Monday at around 5:25 p.m. at The Rib Co. located at 72183 Twentynine Palms Highway. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dept., damages to the restaurant were estimated to be approximately

A motorist slammed a vehicle into a power pole in Indio today, then apparently fled the scene, prompting a hit-and-run investigation.    Officers responded to Arabia Street and Highway 111 at around 6:35 a.m. on a report of a vehicle that hit a power pole, Indio Police Department public information officer Ben Guitron told City

A Coachella man suspected of driving under the influence and causing a crash that killed a 36-year-old woman in Palm Desert was charged with murder today. Alberto Lopez, 26, was set to be arraigned at the Larson Justice Center in Indio on Wednesday afternoon, according to court records.    The crash occurred around 2:30 a.m.