Lt. Mike Bianco, brother of Sheriff, promoted to captain of the Thermal Station

The Thermal Sheriff's Station will soon have a new captain.

Lieutenant Mike Bianco has been promoted to captain of the Thermal Station, Correctional Sergeant Deanna Pecoraro of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, confirmed on Friday.

The future Captain Bianco is the brother of Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. We have reached out to the Sheriff's Department for more information on Lt. Mike Bianco's history with the department.

The Thermal Station provides serves the eastern half of the Coachella Valley. In addition to contract police services for the cities of Coachella, and La Quinta, and the Southern Coachella Valley Community Services District as well as the neighboring unincorporated cities.

The change will go into effect on Dec. 16, 2021.

The former captain of the Thermal Station is Herman Lopez, a position he has held since 2019.

Lopez is the father of Corporal Hunter Lopez, a young Marine who was killed during evacuations at a Kabul airport in Afghanistan in September.

Lopez has been promoted to Chief Deputy over East Patrol Operations and Court Service, Pecoraro confirmed.

In addition, Chief Matt Jimenez will be promoted to Assistant Sheriff over Administration. Jimenez and his family are longtime residents of the Coachella Valley.

Jimenez held a variety of assignments throughout the Coachella Valley in his 28-year career.

In 2003, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and continued to serve within the Indio Station where he supervised patrol operations in the unincorporated county area and the contract cities of Coachella and La Quinta. In 2004 he was assigned to supervise the La Quinta Police Department Special Enforcement Team. He carried out this assignment until his promotion to Lieutenant in 2007.

Jimenez has also served a three-year assignment as the Assistant Chief of Police for the City of Indian Wells and a two-year assignment as the Assistant Chief of Police for the City of La Quinta.