INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A pool serviceman who fatally beat a 93-year-old Palm Desert woman during a robbery at her home applied “all of his” force to snuff out her life with the motivation of taking her money, making him guilty of first-degree murder, a prosecutor alleged today, while the man’s attorney argued his client
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A 41-year-old man accused of stabbing a Palm Springs police officer during a disturbance call pleaded not guilty to charges. Phillip Roger Lester Smith was charged with assault on a peace officer and trespassing, as well as an enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury. He remains in custody on $350,000 bail,
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YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – The Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Station released surveillance photos of a person caught on camera stealing packages from a home in Yucca Valley. The theft happened after an Amazon package Wednesday at around 2:00 p.m. at a home on the 58000 block of San Andreas Road. “An unknown suspect was captured
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Five people were arrested on suspicion of vandalism, conspiracy and weapons charges after a yearlong investigation into a tagging crew believed responsible for over $10,000 in property damage in the Coachella Valley, authorities said today.  Palm Springs police detectives in coordination with the city’s patrol officers, drone operators and regional
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DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Desert Hot Springs Police made good use of their drone to follow and catch a suspect trying to get away from a traffic stop on Tuesday. Desert Hot Springs Police officers report in a Facebook post they attempted to stop a male suspect who was illegally riding a mini
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INDIO (CNS) – A 32-year-old man accused of gunning down his one-time girlfriend’s lover as he left her Coachella Valley home was inflamed with rage and intended to shoot to kill, prosecutors said today, while the defense argued that the defendant was blinded by passion and also believed the victim was going to pull a
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MURRIETA, Calif. (KESQ) – Jurors convicted a 21-year-old man of false imprisonment for attacking a Thermal girl on her way home from school, but were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on a sexual assault charge and another count, resulting in a mistrial for those felonies. The Murrieta jury weighing the fate of Christian Daniel
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LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) Â – Over $100,000 worth of personal belongings, gone. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said it’s investigating multiple thefts reported at La Quinta Resort & Club during the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. One victim said at least 9 people were hit, and together they lost over
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A Palm Springs police officer is recovering in the hospital after being stabbed during an altercation with a suspect Tuesday afternoon. The incident happened at around 2:40 p.m. on the 1500 block of N. Sunrise Way. Officers initially responded to a disturbance call in the area, according to the Palm
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Prosecution testimony got underway Tuesday in the trial of two men accused of gunning down the owner of a Cathedral City convenience store during a robbery. Charles Lamar Campbell of Beaumont and Joel Ortiz Hidalgo of Desert Hot Springs, both 23, allegedly killed 61-year-old Chris Sgouromitis of Cathedral City in 2021.
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Arrests were up again for Coachella Weekend 2 compared to last year, according to data released by the Indio Police Department on Tuesday. There were 128 total arrests during Weekend 2 this year. It’s an increase from 112 arrests in 2024 and an even bigger jump from 80 arrests in 2023.
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Authorities discovered several televisions and DJ equipment left behind after a train burglary Sunday night in Palm Desert. The incident was first reported just before 10:20 a.m. on the 75000 block of Gerald Ford Drive. A caller reported subjects possibly stealing items from a train, according to the Riverside County
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – The former drummer of the indie power-pop group the New Pornographers is scheduled to appear in court this week for allegedly possessing child pornography and recording a minor in a public restroom. Â Â Joseph Seiders, 44, of Palm Desert, was arrested April 9 following an investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff’s
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A felon accused of carjacking a motorist at knifepoint in Calimesa and leading law enforcement officers on a chase into the Coachella Valley must stand trial on kidnapping and other charges, a judge ruled today.  Steven Christopher Mata, 33, of San Diego, was arrested last month following the pursuit by Riverside
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A 54-year-old man who killed three people in a multi-vehicle wreck in Palm Springs because he was driving while intoxicated in a sandstorm was sentenced today to 11 years, eight months in state prison. Â Â Shawn Michael Kirkpatrick last month admitted three counts of DUI gross vehicular manslaughter, as well as
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies are seeking the public’s help after several vehicles were broken into and burglarized throughout Palm Desert Thursday morning. The report first came in at around 6:45 a.m. “… deputies assigned to the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to reports of vehicles being damaged and broken
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DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Cali (KESQ) – Update: An 8-year-old girl abducted by her father was safely recovered early Friday morning following a vehicle pursuit that ended in Palm Desert, authorities said. Oscar Landeros, 33, took his daughter during a limited court-ordered visit Thursday evening and made threats to harm himself and the child, according to
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DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Desert Hot Springs Police say they arrested a man following reports of a suspicious person wearing a ski mask and carrying a handgun. Officers located the man hiding by the dumpsters near a local hotel early Thursday morning. Police report the suspect was still wearing the ski mask and
Continue Reading PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – A Palm Desert man was arrested and charged with possessing child pornography after separate incidents in the bathroom of a local restaurant, authorities announced. Joseph Seiders, 44, of Palm Desert, was arrested on April 9 at the Chick-fil-A on Dinah Shore Drive in Palm Desert, according to county jail records.
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Crime across several key categories in Palm Springs declined during the first quarter of 2025, according to statistics released this week by the Palm Springs Police Department. Larceny-theft cases totaled 237 from January through March 2025, down from 312 during the same period a year ago, while vehicle-related thefts dropped
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