Update – 2/3/26: Jorge Andres Huerta Arias was cleared of all charges, the jury ruled. Original Report – 1/15/26 INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A man accused of fatally shooting a Halloween partygoer in La Quinta more than six years ago intentionally initiated hostilities, a prosecutor claimed today, while the defendant’s attorney argued his client encountered
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – A 21-year-old man was sentenced for his role in a Palm Desert shooting. Jorge Arturo Morales of Cathedral City pleaded guilty to attempted murder, assault with a gun, and stalking charges. He was immediately sentenced to 14 years and 8 months in prison. Morales was arrested along with Jaden Xavier
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COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – A former Coachella Valley Unified School District janitor was arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography, authorities confirmed Wednesday. The 20-year-old Coachella resident was arrested on Jan. 7. He remains in custody at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on suspicion of invasion of privacy and possession of child pornography.
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A 53-year-old man accused in a stabbing on the CV Link pleaded not guilty to charges on Wednesday. Jacob Ethan Masters was charged with cruelty to elder/adult and assault with a deadly weapon, according to court records. He was arraigned at the Larson Justice Center in Indio Wednesday before Riverside County
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A 35-year-old Moreno Valley man suspected of stealing more than $20,000 in landscaping and construction equipment in Palm Springs was arrested, authorities said today. The suspect was booked into Benoit Detention Center in Indio on suspicion of grand theft and an enhanced penalty, according to the Palm Springs Police Department.
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – A Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy and a pedestrian were hospitalized after a crash stemming from a pursuit Wednesday morning in Palm Desert. The crash was reported just after 8:30 a.m. near Frank Sinatra Drive and Drexell Drive. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the incident started as a pursuit in the
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A man accused of sexually assaulting four women, several of whom were drugged, in the Coachella Valley must stand trial on nearly a dozen felony charges, a judge ruled today. Juan Carlos Segura Jr., 28, of Palm Springs was arrested in 2024 following a Palm Springs Police Department investigation.
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INDIO, Calif. (Jan. 8, 2026) – Grand jury transcripts unsealed in the indictment of Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez reveal dramatic testimony alleging that the longtime mayor used his public office to enrich himself – and allegedly bullied anyone who got in his way. The 467-page transcript, obtained by KESQ News Channel 3 provides an inside look
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A registered sex offender who pimped out a teenager for call girl services in the Riverside metropolitan area and elsewhere was sentenced today to 90 days in jail and two years’ felony probation. Deirdrick Dayvon Bradford, 31, of Rosamond pleaded guilty in November to human trafficking following a preliminary hearing.
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) KESQ News Channel Three has obtained the grand jury transcript that led to the indictment of Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez, offering a rare look at sworn testimony from current and former city leaders and regional officials about how City Hall operated behind closed doors. The more than 500-page transcript shows jurors heard
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Police have arrested a 53-year-old man in connection with a recent stabbing along the CV Link in Palm Springs. The suspect was arrested on Sunday near the CV Link trail in the area of the Cimarron Golf Course. He faces charges of attempted murder and resisting an officer. The arrest
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MURRIETA, Calif. (KESQ) – After deliberating barely one day, jurors tasked with assessing the mental competency of a man accused of ambushing and killing a 30-year-old Riverside County sheriff’s deputy returned with a verdict of competence, paving the way for a capital murder trial. The Murrieta jury assigned to the case of Jesse Ceazar Navarro,
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BUFFALO, New York (KESQ) – A fitness influencer from Palm Springs was arrested in Buffalo, New York, after an investigation into child exploitation. Jacob A. Hanes, 24, was charged with Promoting an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. According to the New
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BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – A suspect crashed into a vehicle while attempting to flee from deputies Wednesday morning in Banning. The incident started just before 8 a.m. when deputies responded to the area of Haugen Lehmann Way and Tamarack Road in Whitewater regarding a report of a stolen vehicle possibly involved in a robbery, according
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Update 1/2/26 19-year old Michael Dodd was charged with one count of murder and arraigned on Friday. Dodd is accused of killing 34-year old Francisco Lemus last Sunday night. Dodd is expected to be back in court on January 13th. Update 12/30/25 A 19-year-old man from Lancaster has been arrested in connection with the shooting,
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) -Indio Police continue to investigate a fatal vehicle-versus-pedestrian hit-and-run crash that occurred on New Year’s Eve. The crash was reported just before 9 p.m. near the area of Van Buren Street south of Dr. Carreon Boulevard. Responding officers found a man in the roadway with significant injuries, according to the Indio Police Department.
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COACHELL VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – As 2025 comes to a close, News Channel 3 is taking a look back at the crimes that shocked, saddened, and reshaped communities across the Coachella Valley. From a deadly terrorist attack in Palm Springs to the heartbreaking death of a baby whose disappearance gripped the nation, this year marked
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Karina Bazarte IMPERIAL VALLEY, Calif. (KYMA) – A press conference began Monday morning after a well-known Imperial Valley farmer was arrested for murder. The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) shared that 59-year-old Kerri Ann Abatti‘s nephew found the victim shot at her home in Pinetop, Arizona. She was pronounced dead at Show Low Hospital in
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Two drivers were arrested for allegedly driving under the influence and 43 citations were issued during a weekend DUI checkpoint operation in Indio, authorities said today. The checkpoint was conducted from 6 p.m. Friday through 2 a.m. Saturday at Highway 111 west of Clinton Street, according to the Indio Police
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BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – A 46-year-old felon awaiting trial on arson and other charges died in his jail cell in Banning today, but authorities said there was no indication of foul play. Quadir Rafi Boykin of Menifee was discovered by correctional deputies unconscious in his cell at the Smith Correctional Facility shortly before 1
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