Three gang members accused in the slaying of an Indio man must stand trial for first-degree murder and other charges, a judge ruled today. Oscar Angel “Sniper” Bustos, 32, Itati Maribi Ceja, 27, and Robert “Bubba” Ruiz, 33, allegedly killed Jason Diaz in 2020. Â Â Robert “Bubba” Ruiz and Oscar Angel “Sniper” Bustos Following a
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A hit-and-run suspect was arrested after a brief police pursuit in Palm Desert Friday afternoon. The incident started at around 1:48 PM when deputies responded to a minor injury traffic collision near the intersection of Monterey Avenue and Dinah Shore Drive. The suspect driver left the scene before deputies could arrive at the scene, according
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A 50-year-old convicted felon accused of preying on two Moreno Valley schoolgirls and trying to kidnap one of them must stand trial for attempted abduction and annoying minors, a judge ruled today. Rene Rodriguez Ramirez of Indio was arrested last month following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation. Â Â At the end of a preliminary
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A convicted felon who allegedly joined a cohort in igniting an explosive device that damaged property on a highway in Rancho Mirage must stand trial for use of a destructive device and vandalism, a judge ruled today. Â Â Jason Edward Hershey, 50, was arrested in 2021 following a months-long local and federal investigation into the
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A man who sexually assaulted a woman in Rancho Mirage was sentenced today to three years in state prison. Â Â Reginald Demond Macon Jr., 27, of Indio pleaded guilty in March to rape by force or fear under an agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for his admission, prosecutors dropped three
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A former Desert Hot Springs bus driver will be tried for allegedly molesting several girls years ago while working for the Coachella Valley Unified School District. Jose Luis Moncada, 67, was arrested in 2020 following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation. Â Â At the end of a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Jason Stone
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Two people were rushed to the hospital after a shooting in an Indio neighborhood Tuesday afternoon. The shooting was reported at around 5:50 PM on the 82400 block of Requa Avenue. Ben Guitron of the Indio Police Dept. confirmed that the two victims, both adults, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. They were both taken to the hospital
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A Riverside County man, who admitted to selling fentanyl to a 33-year-old man who ingested the powerful synthetic opioid and suffered a fatal overdose, was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison.  Sergio Maya, 33, of Lake Elsinore, was sentenced in Los Angeles federal court by U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi, who also
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A man was arrested on a separate warrant today after police were called about two vagrants damaging property in Palm Springs and one allegedly pulling a gun. Officers initially responded to reports of “vagrant subjects” damaging a business property in the area of Vista Chino and Sunrise, Lt. Gustavo Araiza of the Palm Springs Police
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A 47-year-old man suspected of stealing items from a garage and vehicle last week was arrested in Rancho Mirage. The theft was reported at around 8:30 a.m. on April 30. Deputies responded to a gated community in Rancho Mirage regarding a residential burglary that occurred while the victims were asleep. “The suspect initially burglarized the
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A La Quinta High School student, a security officer, and a Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy suffered minor injuries after an altercation on campus Thursday afternoon. According to the Sheriff’s Office, at around 2:55 p.m., deputies were contacted by security regarding an intoxicated juvenile. “While attempting to detain the juvenile, they resisted and assaulted the security
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Area Port of Calexico seized fentanyl and methamphetamine concealed within air compressors in two separate interdictions last week. “This is truly an outstanding demonstration of our officers’ ability to think outside of the box and further exemplifies our adaptability to find illicit contraband no matter where
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The Indio Police Dept. took five people into custody after a gunpoint robbery Wednesday evening. The robbery was reported at around 6:05 PM near Galindo Court and Avenue 40. The suspects fled the area in a white Civic. Officers spotted the vehicle near Monroe and Avenue 42 a short time later, Ben Guitron, Indio PD
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Data collected by the Cathedral City Police Department reflects crime trends over the past five years, between 2019 and 2023. The information was part of a recent City Council presentation and sheds light on what areas have improved and which have worsened. Homicide and rape were the lowest in the city in 2023 compared to
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A judge confirmed an Aug. 29 trial date today for Cameron Francis Curtis, a Palm Desert High School teacher and football coach accused of striking and killing a pedestrian while intoxicated. Curtis, 32, previously pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge after allegedly driving into 64-year-old Nancy Valdes of Palm Desert. Curtis was also
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A warrant has been issued for the woman suspected of starting a fire that destroyed multiple businesses in Palm Desert earlier this month. Natalie Marie Radu, 30, failed to appear in court on Friday for her felony settlement conference. A judge issued a no bail bench warrant. Radu is charged with recklessly causing a fire
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A 41-year-old man accused of killing his roommate and two cats in their Cathedral City apartment re-entered a not guilty plea to murder today. Joseph Ortega initially pleaded not guilty to the murder charges Nov. 3, 2022, during his first court appearance in the case. At the Larson Justice Center in Indio, Ortega re-entered a
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One of two men suspected in the 2018 fatal shooting of a jiu-jitsu instructor in Cathedral City re-entered a not guilty plea today to murder. Kipko Griffin, 49, initially pleaded not guilty to the charges July 27, 2023, during his first court appearance in the case. At the end of a preliminary hearing April 9,
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A 24-year-old man who joined his brother in a takeover robbery at a Banning cannabis store, where two people were stabbed and another almost shot, was convicted today of attempted murder and other offenses. Â Â Following nearly a week of deliberations, a Riverside jury found Raymond Emilio Paul Matus of Beaumont guilty of the attempted
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Four Indio residents, including three who are already in custody, were arrested on suspicion of attempting to smuggle drugs into Riverside County jail facilities. In February, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Investigation Bureau began an investigation into inmates coordinating with a subject outside of the jail facilities to smuggle narcotics into the jail by
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