A Palm Desert man who arranged over the internet to meet what he thought would be a 13-year-old girl for sex pleaded guilty today to a felony. Marino Aaron Lopez, 31, was originally charged with six felony counts — two of oral copulation with a person 10 to 14 years old, and one each of
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — After a former state trooper from Virginia drove across the country, kidnapped a 15-year-old California girl, killed three members of her family, then shot himself, Virginia State Police and the sheriff’s office he had recently started working for said they found no warning signs during background checks before he was hired.
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According to the Department of Justice data, crime reports are down in Desert Hot Springs between the years 2001 and 2021. “I honestly feel like you don’t really see a lot of crime,” says Pattie Cruz, owner of Kali Certified Flowers. Kali-certified flowers have been a family business in desert hot springs for eight years. Cruz has
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The number of cases dismissed by Riverside County judges contending with a backlog that accumulated during the COVID public health lockdowns is just under 1,100, many of them assault and domestic violence filings — as well as a few for attempted murder and kidnapping, the District Attorney’s Office said today. “Our office respectfully disagrees
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The Palm Springs Police Department is investigating vandalism at city hall. Police said they received reports of vandalism at around 6:00 a.m. on Monday. City employees said they discovered a shattered window and glass door on the west side of the building. Repairs are currently underway. Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates. Be
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A 37-year-old man accused of distributing fentanyl out of his Hemet apartment, sending packets of the substance via U.S. mail, was in federal custody today. Ignacio Alcala was arrested last week following an investigation involving the Riverside County Gang Impact Team and U.S. Postal Service. Alcala was federally charged with distribution of fentanyl for
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The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department was investigating a Thursday night shooting that sent one man to a local hospital for treatment. Deputies were said to be looking for suspects in the shooting they said happened late in the evening. A man checked himself into the emergency room at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage for a gunshot wound
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A former Coachella Valley Unified School District teacher who repeatedly sexually assaulted a young girl was convicted today of multiple felony charges. A Riverside jury deliberated four days before finding 43-year-old Luis Alfonso Martinez of La Quinta guilty of two counts each of lewd acts on a minor and oral copulation of a child under
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A Palm Springs resident accused of fatally shooting a man in Desert Hot Springs late last month pleaded not guilty to a murder charge today. Richard Douglas Taylor Jr., 31, was charged Tuesday. He pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning at the Larson Justice Center in Indio on the felony count — which includes a sentence-enhancing
Continue Reading A suspect has been arrested in connection with a deadly shooting that occurred on Nov. 25 in Desert Hot Springs. The shooting was reported at around 11:45 a.m. on Cactus Street near 6th Street. Officers arrived and found a man dead outside of a residence with multiple gunshot wounds. The man was pronounced dead at
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A 9-year-old girl was killed exactly one year ago near Desert Hot Springs getting off her school bus and then hit by a car. Thursday, the Riverside County District Attorney’s office announced they would file charges against the 88-year-old driver police say is responsible. Robert William Hanson faces multiple charges, including vehicular manslaughter with gross
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A man was rushed to the hospital after being stabbed Friday afternoon in Desert Hot Springs. The stabbing happened just before 3:15 p.m. on the 11-400 block of Palm Drive. Details remain limited, including the condition of the victim. Police confirmed they are searching for the suspect in the area. We have a crew at
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An 88-year-old man has been charged in connection with a crash that killed a 9-year-old girl and injured three other kids walking home from a bus stop near Desert Hot Springs last year. Robert William Hanson faces multiple charges, including vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, reckless driving, vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence, and driving without
Continue Reading A murder charge was filed today against a Beaumont man accused of causing the death of his girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter, whose remains were found in an apartment with him and the woman after they had overdosed on drugs — the woman fatally. Tyler Lawrence Finley was arrested in December 2020 following a Beaumont Police Department
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News Channel 3 has confirmed that one person was killed in a single car crash in Thermal Wednesday afternoon. It happened at about 3:30 p.m. near Airport Boulevard and Tyler Street. News Channel 3 has a crew on the scene and will have updates as we learn more. Watch News Channel live broadcasts in the
Continue Reading A jury was seated today in the trial of a former Coachella Valley Unified School District teacher accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a young girl. Luis Alfonso Martinez, 43, of La Quinta, is charged with two counts each of lewd acts on a minor and oral copulation of a child under 10 years old, as
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Police are looking for a driver accused of striking an 11-year-old pedestrian and then fleeing the scene Tuesday afternoon in Indio. Police said the crash happened just before 2:00 p.m. at the intersection of Ave 46 and Clinton Street. The 11-year-old boy was hit while walking in a crosswalk. Police added that the boy was
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A felon from Coachella pleaded guilty today to leading deputies on a pursuit in a vehicle while under the influence of a drug and was immediately sentenced to one year and four months prison. Eduardo Antonio Felix, 38, was charged with two felony counts, one each of evading arrest and vehicle theft with a prior
Continue Reading The Indio Police Department is investigating a double homicide after two bodies were found inside a burned vehicle Friday morning. The vehicle was found at approximately 10:45 a.m. on Power Line Road, west of Dillon Road and Fargo Canyon Road. Power Line Road is an unpaved service with power lines in the open desert north
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The defense filed motions for mistrial and to dismiss the retrial of quadruple homicide case, in which a Cathedral City man is accused of gunning down four people in Palm Springs, claiming new evidence will make it impossible for the defendant to face a fair trial and violates his right to a fair retrial, according
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