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. 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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An employee of a store at an outlet mall in Cabazon was pepper-sprayed during a robbery Wednesday evening. The robbery was first reported at around 5:00 p.m. at a business on the 48000 block of Seminole Drive, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. “The reporting party stated items were taken from the business by
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Riverside police Chief Larry Gonzalez said today a yearlong joint local-federal law enforcement investigation that interdicted the trafficking of fentanyl and other potentially deadly narcotics in the metropolitan area was aimed at “safeguarding the community,” netting 15 arrests and the seizure of large quantities of illicit drugs. “We will continue leveraging every available resource
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The number of arrests made during the second weekend of the 2024 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival were up 40% compared to last year, police said today. From Friday morning to Sunday night, the Indio Police Department made a total 112 arrests at the festival, according to department spokesman Ben Guitron. That compares to
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A person suspected of driving under the influence crashed after trying to flee from police during a traffic stop in Coachella, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. The incident happened at around 11:25 a.m. in the area of Jackson Street and Avenue 50. A deputy conducted a traffic stop and a suspected that the driver
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Desert Hot Springs Police is investigating a shooting after a man was found injured Sunday night. The shooting happened just before 7 p.m. on Palm Drive near San Diego Drive. When officers arrived they found a 19-year-old man shot in his lower body with non-life injuries. Police say, the incident did not take place inside
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Authorities said an outage that left hundreds of customers without power in Indio Tuesday night was caused by a copper wire thief. Power went out to approximately 735 customers at around 9:30 p.m., according to the Imperial Irrigation District. “The theft of the ground wires caused an underground primary wire to burn up, forcing district
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Border Patrol agents seized several packages of methamphetamine found hidden within an ice chest of fish at the Calexico West Port of Entry over the weekend. The incident occurred Sunday at around 8:39 p.m. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP officers encountered a 34-year-old man driving a 2021 sedan through the vehicle SENTRI
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Investigators from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office are asking for the public’s help locating relatives of a Mexican national killed and dumped alongside a regional highway 35 years ago, hoping to let them know the fate of their loved one. Jorge Lopez Serrano was shot to death in March 1989, and his remains
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Despite the big crowds, snarled traffic and other challenges, the number of arrests during the first weekend of the 2024 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival were down 20% compared to last year’s starting weekend, authorities said today. The Indio Police Department’s detention and citation figures for Friday morning to Sunday night at the
Continue Reading A 30-year-old transient accused of igniting a fire that destroyed four businesses in a Palm Desert strip mall was charged today with recklessly causing a fire resulting in property damage and other offenses. Natalie Ann Marie Radu was arrested Sunday following a Cal Fire arson investigation at the Plaza de Monterey Shopping Center. Along with
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A convicted felon who stored thousands of fentanyl pills, as well as large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin, for sale out of his Cherry Valley home was bound for state prison today to serve a 10-year sentence. Julio Cesar Castillo, 52, pleaded guilty in February to three counts of possession of controlled substances for
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