Crime

A 31-year-old Riverside man who presented himself as a fortune teller able to rid people of curses and ailments but allegedly used sleight of hand and outright deception to steal thousands of dollars was out of custody today on a $57,000 bond. The suspect was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of grand theft and theft by

Police are searching for an armed suspect who robbed a bank in Palm Springs Friday afternoon. The robbery happened at the Citi Bank on 1675 E Palm Canyon Drive at around 2:39 p.m. “One male suspect entered the location and produced a handgun while demanding money from the teller,” according to Palm Springs police. The

A gang member who was wanted on a $1 million arrest warrant was taken into custody Thursday afternoon in Palm Desert. The man, identified as a 40-year-old from Coachella, was taken into custody by the Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force in a residential area at the 49000 block of Highway 74 in Palm

A Texas mother pleaded not guilty today to charges of kidnapping her daughter in Thousand Palms. Sara Lee Almodovar, 36, the biological mother of the child, is accused of forcibly removing the girl from her elementary school in August, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office charged Almodovar with

An Arcadia woman pleaded guilty today to soliciting over $22.8 million in funds for a condominium and hotel complex in the Coachella Valley, then spending part of the money on luxury cars, travel and designer clothing. Ruixue “Serena” Shi, 37, entered the plea to one federal count of wire fraud, which carries a sentence of

One of two convicted felons accused of perpetrating an unemployment benefits scam that involved inmates at Ironwood State Prison in Blythe and netted over $500,000 in stolen funds pleaded not guilty today to 48 charges. Brandon Christopher Avery, 28, of San Bernardino was arrested last week following a months-long investigation by the Riverside County District

PALM DESERT (CNS) – Four people were behind bars today after leading Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed pursuit after a string of commercial robberies in Palm Desert. On Thursday, sheriff’s deputies arrested three San Jose residents, ages 25, 36, and 39, along with a 33-year-old Indio woman after the group allegedly committed multiple

The Riverside County Coroner’s Office has released the identity of the man killed in an officer-involved shooting last week on Interstate 10 in Palm Springs. Russell Leggett, 30, of Idyllwild was pronounced dead on Thursday after following a police pursuit that ended in a shooting. Police said the pursuit began at around midnight when Leggett

El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents discovered a fake FexEx truck with undocumented individuals smuggled into the United States. The discovery happened Thursday afternoon near the Highway 111 checkpoint not far from Niland. According to Border Patrol, agents spotted the white delivery van “exhibiting signs consistent with human smuggling.” There were no details as to

A Thermal man was killed in a “brutal attack” by a bat-wielding assailant three years ago, a prosecutor told jurors today, but a defense attorney said there was doubt about the circumstances of the fatality, suggesting the alleged attacker was actually defending himself during a fight. Saul Mayoral, 53, is accused in the March 23,

A convicted felon accused of stealing a vehicle with a toddler inside in Desert Hot Springs was ordered today to stand trial on kidnapping and other felony charges. Yadira Dolores Flores, 31, of Desert Hot Springs is charged with kidnapping, wilful child cruelty, vehicle theft, receiving a stolen vehicle and sentence-enhancing allegations of committing an