Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced today it will not challenge a state appellate court panel’s ruling that clears the way for the release of former Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten on parole. Van Houten, now 73, is serving a potential life prison sentence for taking part in the killings of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca
Continue Reading
Police arrested a suspect accused of setting a Yucca Valley man and woman on fire last month in Johnson Valley. The suspect, a 32-year-old man from Johnson Valley, was arrested Wednesday during a vehicle check on Old Woman Springs Road, near Mira Street. He is being held at the Morongo Basin Jail with attempted murder
Continue Reading
A Congressional candidate and city councilmember accused of abusing two children in San Jacinto was charged today with two misdemeanor counts of child endangerment. Brian Eugene Hawkins, 44, of San Jacinto, was arrested Sunday following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Office investigation. Hawkins, who is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail at the Robert
Continue Reading
A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of stabbing another boy last month in Twentynine Palms, police announced. The boy was arrested at around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday at his residence in Twentynine Palms, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dept. announced. He was transported to the Central Juvenile Hall where he was booked for attempted murder
Continue Reading
A felon suspected in a Desert Hot Springs residential break-in in which his accomplice was fatally shot by an occupant of the home re-entered not guilty pleas to felony charges today. Nathan Michael Alger, 22, of Desert Hot Springs was charged with one felony count each of murder, attempted murder, burglary, assault with a gun
Continue Reading
A Beaumont babysitter accused of killing a 15-month-old tot by inflicting severe head trauma, as well as abusing another child, pleaded not guilty today to murder and other charges. Heather Lyn Greenman, 37, of Beaumont was arrested last week following a two-month investigation by the Beaumont Police Department. Along with murder, Greenman is charged
Continue Reading
A babysitter was arrested and charged with murder after the death of a one-year-old toddler in Beaumont. Heather Greenman, 37, of Riverside was arrested by Beaumont police on Thursday. Police said Greenman was babysitting a toddler that died as a result of a head injury on April 26, 2023. Police said Greenman reported the child
Continue Reading San Jacinto Councilmember, and local Congressional candidate, Brian Hawkins was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a child over the weekend in Lake Elsinore. The city of San Jacinto confirmed Hawkins’ arrest in a news release on Monday. “The Riverside County Sherriff’s Department and Riverside County District Attorney’s Office notified the City of San Jacinto of
Continue Reading
A Desert Hot Springs man pleaded guilty today to possessing sexual images of a minor and is set to be sentenced next month. Pedro Alfredo Elizalde pleaded guilty Monday to one felony count of possessing matter depicting a minor in a sexual act, according to court records. He additionally admitted to sentence-enhancements of images
Continue Reading
A 54-year-old man who led law enforcement officers on a two-city pursuit that culminated in the defendant ramming two Riverside County sheriff’s patrol units was sentenced today to nine months in jail and two years’ felony probation. Ryan Kendall of Beaumont pleaded guilty last week to assault on a peace officer and evading arrest as
Continue Reading
Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for a 43-year-old man accused of gunning down a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy, who went to the defendant’s Lakeland Village home to investigate a domestic disturbance, it was announced today. Jesse Ceazar Navarro allegedly killed 30-year-old Deputy Darnell Calhoun on the afternoon of Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.
Continue Reading
A Banning man has been charged with murder in connection with the fentanyl poisoning death of a missing 15-year-old girl. The case started on the night of January 14, 23, that’s when deputies found the body of the 15-year-old on the 12400 block of Dailey Road in Banning. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office,
Continue Reading
A 28-year-old Coachella Valley man convicted of fatally stabbing his girlfriend during a frenzied attack possibly stemming from drug use was sentenced today to 33 years & 8 months to life in prison. Christian Alejandro Pacheco was convicted of killing Elilia Valdez Garcia, 30, of Thermal on March 17, 2017. In April, a jury found
Continue Reading
An unlicensed driver who killed a Tour de Palm Springs bicyclist and severely injured another when he lost control of his car and crashed while high on drugs in Indio Hills was sentenced today to 20 years to life in state prison. A Riverside jury in May convicted 26-year-old Ronnie Ramon Huerta Jr. of Desert
Continue Reading
A 36-year-old man who stalked and harassed his ex-girlfriend while he had a no-contact order against him and rammed his car into a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department patrol vehicle is set to be sentenced next month after pleading guilty to felony charges. Jose Lopez Jr. pleaded guilty Thursday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio
Continue Reading
Update 6/30/23 The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the victim was a minor who was found with several gunshot wounds after a car-to-car shooting. The minor was behind the wheel of a silver Honda Civic that crashed as a result of the shooting. He was flown to a local trauma center where he is currently
Continue Reading
Two teens were arrested after a shots fired call Thursday night near Village Fest in downtown Palm Springs. Palm Springs Police PIO Tamara Wadkins told News Channel 3 that around 10:30 p.m. officers working Village Fest heard in the area of E. Tahquitz Canyon Drive and South Belardo Road.Police later learned that a car was
Continue Reading
A 60-year-old woman suspected of killing her 85-year-old mother in La Quinta re-entered not guilty pleas to felony charges today. Sally Martha Webster of La Quinta is charged with one felony count each of murder and cruelty on an elder, according to court records. She additionally faces special circumstance allegations of inflicting torture and
Continue Reading
Jurors found a 30-year-old man guilty today of fatally shooting a man in the living room of a Desert Hot Springs home after finding out the victim was in the same home as his girlfriend. Daniel Ray Martinez of Desert Hot Springs was charged with one felony count each of murder and being a felon
Continue Reading
A 33-year-old homeless man pleaded guilty today to starting a small brush fire in Palm Springs earlier this year and was immediately sentenced to two years in state prison. Anthony Cordero pleaded guilty at the Larson Justice Center in Indio to one felony count of arson to a non-dwelling, according to court records. Officers
Continue Reading