A change of plea hearing was delayed today until Aug. 5 for a druggist from Riverside County accused of using his pharmacy to submit more than $300 million in fraudulent Medi-Cal claims for prescription medications that were medically unnecessary, often not provided to patients and obtained through the payment of illegal kickbacks. Kyrollos Mekail, 36,
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The Palm Springs Police Department officially confirmed new details on a shooting incident that left three people dead over the weekend. Three people were found dead in North Palm Springs this past Sunday afternoon. Two people were found dead with gunshot wounds inside a vehicle near the Pilot Travel Center off of N. Indian Canyon
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An Arizona man received 45 felony charges today after his arrest on suspicion of illegally smuggling firearms and ammunition across a state border. Phoenix resident Alexis Ayala Molina, 22, pleaded not guilty to 29 counts of assault weapon possession, 15 counts of removing or altering firearm identification marks and an additional count of manufacturing or
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Desert Hot Springs police shared new details on a shooting last weekend at a gas station in Desert Hot Springs. The shooting happened Saturday at around 4:15 p.m. on the 13900 block of Palm Drive. News Channel 3 originally reported a shooting was reported at the Chevron gas station. Employees confirmed there was a shooting
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A Palm Springs police officer and his K-9 partner found 18 pounds of meth in a vehicle during a traffic stop Wednesday night. Details on the bust were limited but the Palm Springs Police Dept. shared a photo of Officer David Etchason and his K-9 partner Hylas at the bust.
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A western Riverside County man was arrested for allegedly embezzling approximately $1 million from numerous victims who invested their money with him, authorities said today. On April 17, deputies from the Perris station received a call about possible embezzlement. The caller said a large sum of money was invested in 2022 but without any returns
Continue Reading On July 1, Border Patrol tracked a vehicle traveling westbound on the I-10 at Chiriaco Summit and found a suspect holding possession of a large stash of illegal firearms. Border Patrol agents investigated a 22-year-old man from Phoenix, who was the only occupant in the vehicle. The Riverside Sheriff’s Office confirmed the suspect had a
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A 20-year-old man pleaded guilty today to an amended charge of assault with a semi-automatic firearm in the shooting of a 32-year-old Coachella resident. Judge Melissa Hale sentenced Jeraldo Mederos to 14 years in state prison Wednesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio after the defendant entered his guilty plea. Mederos, who previously pleaded
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The last of four suspects in a stabbing at a Desert Hot Springs hotel pleaded guilty today to multiple charges. Jaime Eduardo Reynaga, 39, pleaded guilty to assault causing great bodily injury and first-degree burglary Wednesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 8, according to court
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The State Parole Board has rescinded early parole for a convicted child rapist from Riverside County. Cody Woodsen Klemp, 68, will remain in prison to continue to serve his 170-year prison sentence. Klemp was convicted in 1994 of 40 felonies involving the repeated rape of an underage victim. The teenager had been in the care
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El Centro Sector agents assisted San Bernardino Police Department and Riverside County Sheriff’s Office in a joint operation arresting 51 subjects. Officers seized: $325,000 20 stolen vehicles 20 rifles and handguns and ammo 425 pounds of methamphetamine 48 gallons of liquid methamphetamine $8 million worth of recovered stolen cargo 1 operational meth lab
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A 23-year-old Riverside man suspected of maintaining an illegal fireworks stash weighing about a half-ton, as well as a sawed-off shotgun, was out of custody today on a $35,000 bond. The suspect was arrested and booked into the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside last month on suspicion of possession of destructive devices, possession of unlicensed
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The Cathedral City Police Department released officer videos from the incident the in Shadow Crest neighborhood in Cathedral City in June of 2023. Investigators say that the incident began when a homeowner called 9-1-1 to report that their home had been shot at. Upon arrival, officers confirmed that a shooting did in fact occur at
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Tow truck drivers from around the region gathered in Palm Desert to hold a vigil and procession in honor of a tow truck driver killed in a hit-and-run crash last week. Johnny Sofranko was struck by a vehicle while helping a stranded motorist on the side of the Interstate 10 highway in Palm Desert, east
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Pretrial motions began today ahead of jury selection in the trial of a 48-year-old Coachella Valley man accused of gunning down a motel guest during an altercation in Riverside. 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. Intong
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A sentencing date was pending today for three ex-lawmen and a tow company operator who perpetrated a scam that involved the deputies steering business to the proprietor in exchange for bribes. After deliberating barely two days, a Riverside jury on Friday convicted former Riverside County sheriff’s Lt. Samuel Flores, former sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Martin Christolon
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Two men were arrested Sunday afternoon on suspicion of negligently discharging multiple firearms in Coachella. The incident was first reported just before 4:00 p.m. on Camino Coras, just east of Calhoun Street. Deputies were called out for reports of gunfire in the area. Deputies located the residence and a search warrant was authored and served
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Heavy police presence has been reported at an RV park near the unincorporated community of Sky Valley. There is a heavy police presence on the 71000 block of Dillon Road. A spokesperson for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were first dispatched to the area at around 12:15 p.m. regarding a verbal argument. Deputies determined
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Jury selection is slated to conclude next month for the trial of a Jurupa Valley man and his nephew accused of killing the man’s estranged wife, then framing her boyfriend for the murder, causing the innocent man to spend nearly two decades in prison. Googie Rene Harris Sr., 67, and Joaquin L. Leal, 58, are
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A 38-year-old Riverside County man who distributed fentanyl out of his apartment, sending packets of the powerful synthetic opiate through the U.S. mail, was sentenced today to 19 years in federal prison. Ignacio Alcala pleaded guilty in November in downtown Los Angeles to four federal charges: two counts of distribution of fentanyl, and one
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