Crime

A 25-year-old man accused of inappropriately touching five young girls while employed as a soccer coach at a Thermal middle school must stand trial on several felony charges, a judge ruled today. Juan Manuel Pantoja of Salton City was arrested in March for crimes he allegedly committed while working at Toro Canyon Middle School between

A 25-year-old Beaumont man found comatose from a drug overdose in an apartment with a dead child and a dying woman pleaded not guilty today to child cruelty. Tyler Lawrence Finely was arrested on Dec. 16 after he was discovered in the Sixth Street residence with a deceased 4-year-old girl and the woman who may

As Beaumont police continue the investigation into the death of a four-year-old, a man who was found overdosing inside their apartment has been charged with child cruelty. The girl was found dead inside an apartment on Dec. 16. According to the Beaumont Police Department, the initial investigation revealed that the girl had numerous bruises throughout

Sen. Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, said today she will introduce legislation targeting drug dealers who sell fentanyl to youths, contributing to a surge in drug-related deaths statewide. “As the mother of five children, I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a child to drug poisoning,” Melendez said. “The pandemic and the governor’s

The Desert Hot Springs Police Department arrested a suspect on Tuesday in connection with a 2017 murder in the city. Not much information was available about the arrest on Tuesday, however, police confirmed it was related to the murder of Emmanuel Jenkins, 35, who was killed on June 15, 2017, in the area of Cactus

A California Death Row inmate convicted more than 20 years ago of raping and strangling a 78-year-old Palm Springs woman died in a hospital, authorities said today. Royce Lyn Scott, 62, succumbed to an undisclosed illness Sunday evening at a medical facility to which he was transferred from San Quentin State Prison. An autopsy was

A Palm Desert woman was sentenced on Monday for the 2016 murder of a 69-year-old woman in her care. Marilyn Joy Zemek, 62, was sentenced to a total of 30 years to life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder, elder abuse causing death, two counts of grand theft, identity theft, and perjury. The

Among the many industries that have been rocked by the pandemic, the retail industry has been hit particularly hard by state-mandated restrictions. While the holidays present a bit of a booster for sales, it also means falling victim to shoplifters. Terra Gallery, a business in downtown Palm Springs, was recently targeted by a thief who

A search was underway today for a suspect who forced his way into a Banning home and sexually assaulted a girl before one of her family members came to her aid, prompting the assailant to flee. The attack happened about 3 p.m. Tuesday in the 500 block of North Hathaway Street, near Morongo Road, according

Three people were arrested early Wednesday morning as part of an operation conducted by the Riverside County Gang Impact Team (GIT), assisted by the Palm Springs Police Department, in connection with an assault with a deadly weapon that occurred in the city earlier this year. According to the District Attorney’s office, the raids occurred in

Traffic on the eastbound side of Interstate 10 is backed up after a suspect attempting to evade police crashed into another vehicle east of Cook Street. According to the California Highway Patrol, officers were told the suspect rear-ended another vehicle near Moreno Valley. The victim attempted to follow the suspect but the suspect began to

A driver’s license and sobriety checkpoint in Coachella nabbed nine intoxicated drivers and triggered a high-speed chase, sheriff’s officials reported today. Riverside County sheriff’s deputies conducted the checkpoint between 8 p.m. Friday and 2 a.m. Saturday in the area of Cesar Chavez and Fourth streets, according to Sgt. Mariano Matos III. A total of 363

Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies were investigating a shooting that occurred outside the Morongo Travel Center gas station and Starbucks in Cabazon Wednesday evening. According to Sgt Deanna Pecoraro, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Department, deputies found evidence of a shooting but did not locate any possible victims or suspects. The area has been deemed

Coachella Police were investigating a crime scene in the area of Second Street and Vine Avenue early Tuesday morning. KESQ News Channel 3 had calls into the Riverside County Sheriffs Department inquiring as to what exactly happened. Neighbors called into our newsroom saying they heard gun shots. Officers were called to the scene at 10:30

A 17-year-old was arrested Friday morning in Cathedral City in connection with a shooting in La Quinta back in September. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the shooting happened on September 2020 at a residence within the 47000 block of Dune Palms Road. Authorities said that three juveniles standing outside the residence were shot

Jesse Torres, 44, has been sentenced to death for the abduction and murder of 17-year-old Norma Lopez in 2010. “They say that time heals everything, but it doesn’t. We just had tolearn how to go on with our lives and live with the pain, even though it isn’t easy to do,” Lopez’s sister told the