Tori King
Deadly roadways. Fatal crashes continue to rise, according to the California Highway Patrol.
In efforts to get drivers to be safer, CHP is rolling out a new fleet of patrol vehicles.
However, these aren’t your regular patrol vehicles and we give you an inside look.
News Channel 3’s Tori King brings you an I-Team report, CHP Next Generation.
Tracy Lehr
OXNARD, Calif. – A U.S. citizen was detained in Oxnard after recording video of federal immigration agents arresting his father during a recent ICE operation.
Juan Ramirez Diaz, who lives in Oxnard with his wife and two children, was taken into custody around noon Monday in an industrial area near Pacific Avenue. According to his family, Ramirez Diaz was filming as ICE agents detained his father, who is not a U.S. citizen, when he was tased and taken as well. His wife later shared the video on social media and filed a missing persons report with Oxnard police after he failed to return home.
“My husband is a U.S. citizen, he never should have been taken,” said Monique Ramirez. The family’s attorney said Diaz was “attacked by these ICE agents, maced, punched, beaten,” and then transported to a local hospital before being moved to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. He was released before 3 p.m. Tuesday and is now back with his family.
Police said they conducted a follow-up investigation Tuesday morning after they received the missing persons report. “We obliged and took that report for them this morning, we did a follow up to see if we could locate the individual and it turned out he had been taken down to the Metropolitan Detention Center,” said Oxnard Police Chief Jason Benitez.
Witnesses described the arrest scene as chaotic and intimidating. “It was really sad,” said one worker in the area. “When they came, people looked really scared, like we were criminals.” Another nearby worker, Victor Garcia, added, “In my opinion it is just like racial profiling—they just pull Latino Americans, Hispanics—it is not right.”
The case has raised questions about local law enforcement’s role in immigration enforcement. Oxnard Police Chief Benitez reiterated that the department is not cooperating with ICE, citing Senate Bill 54 — California’s sanctuary state law — which prohibits local agencies from using resources to aid federal immigration enforcement. However, some residents remain skeptical.
Community members — including activists, attorneys, and people from both sides of the political aisle — filled city council chambers Tuesday night to demand answers and accountability. One speaker said, “Fear hangs like a cloud over Oxnard right now.” A hotline number to report undocumented individuals was also read aloud during public comment.
Deborah Baber, treasurer of the Ventura County Republican Party, addressed the incident during public comment, saying, “One got picked up incorrectly is not even a drop in the bucket—it is not even a bit of mist.” But the overwhelming majority of speakers urged council members to stand up for migrant workers and denounce the recent actions by immigration authorities.
“Now the community is going to make its voice heard about some of the stuff that has happened in the last week—really traumatic incidences that have occurred and community members that have been impacted by these immigration raids,” said Steven Auclair, Chair of the Democratic Party.
ICE has not responded to requests for information about what happened to Ramirez Diaz or his father. Video of the incident has circulated widely online, drawing attention from civil rights advocates and immigration groups. Further coverage and community reaction will be featured tonight on the news.
Marie Moyer
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia City Council is looking into creating a new homeless transportation program following Monday night’s council meeting.
The idea was posed by Ward 4 Councilman Nick Foster in March when he requested a report from the Department of Public Health and Human Services exploring a possible “ride home program.”
Presented on Monday, the report breaks down how the program would impact the city and its social service providers, and what resources it would need to run.
“Overwhelmingly, we heard that there is a need for this type of assistance and there are very limited-to-no resources currently available,” Rebecca Roesslet, director of the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services, said during the meeting.
According to Roesslet and Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude, the cause of people from outside of town becoming homeless is mainly caused by people being sent into town for medical and legal reasons or being arrested across county lines.
“The Boone County Jail can really benefit from this as well,” Schlude said. “They have a lot of folks, if you get arrested on an out-of-count warrant, and you bond out from the jail, you might not have a way to get back to Montgomery City or Sedalia, or wherever it is, and so they have people on a regular basis asking their staff, ‘I don’t have anyone to come get me,’ a bondsman is not going to come drive them to Mexico.”
The project is based on a policy from the city of Lawrence, Kansas. That city’s homeless solutions division reaches out to contacts provided by the homeless person to get the person back to their place of origin.
The people being moved are given temporary housing for three days as travel is organized. The city verifies that there is someone or a local shelter at the place of origin before a ticket is purchased. A team will also follow up with the person to make sure they arrived.
“The policy has been extremely helpful to preserve our resources that we do have that are pretty limited and to really focus and single in on the actual Douglas County residents,” Lawrence Homeless Solutions Division Director Misty Bosch-Hastings said. “We can do some verification and then give them that bus ticket, $78 to get them to their home, compared to a $30 a night in a bed here, with them having to rebuild a life just doesn’t make sense.”
Bosch-Hastings added the Missouri State Highway Patrol often brings people who break down on the highway to the nearest city, with the Homeless Solutions Division being the only way for people to get home.
Bosch-Hastings reports the division bought around 75 tickets in 2024.
Columbia Room At The Inn Director John Trapp said the shelter has been giving out bus tickets since the group’s creation. RATI similarly has to confirm that the person has a place to go, but they also add that people who use a bus ticket are restricted from returning to the shelter for six months.
Trapp adds that nonlocal homeless people are becoming more common, and the program would be a good idea for the city to join.
“A lot of folks come from out of county and go to MUPC (Missouri Psychiatric Center), then are released to the streets, many of them are just trying to get back home, that’s probably the most common thing,” Trapp said.
The City Council memo predicts tickets would range in cost from $30-$300. Roesslet also suggested tapping into $300,000 of the city’s remaining ARPA funds to begin a year-long pilot program for the project. Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe added that the pilot program’s findings may also be used to get federal funding for an established project.
The Columbia City Council plans to review possible funding and coordinate with the funding departments before a project is created. A date for this update has not been set.
Barney Lerten
SALEM. Ore. (KTVZ) – With hotter, drier conditions arriving early this year, Oregon’s Division of Financial Regulation is urging residents to prepare now for an active 2025 wildfire season.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, fire activity has increased gradually since May, droughts have already intensified in the Northwest, and several significant fires have broken out recently.
“We are anticipating an active fire season,” said DFR Administrator TK Keen. “Many people may not realize this, but more acres burned in Oregon last year than in the 2020 wildfires. Fortunately, there was not the same loss of life or structures. But it is extremely important for Oregonians do what they can to prepare their properties for this summer and fall. The weather is getting much warmer, and drier, which means the risk of wildfires is high.”
In the 2020s alone, Oregon wildfires have caused nearly $3 billion in estimated losses, which is more than the previous four decades combined.
The National Interagency Fire Center anticipates that in July, August and September, most of Oregon will be above normal in its fire activity.
What can you do to prepare? DFR has created a disaster toolkit on its website, which includes how to financially prepare for wildfire season, wildfire preparation for your home, and evacuation tips. The Oregon Department of Forestry also has good information on active wildfires in the state.
To save time, money, and stress, consider these steps before disaster strikes:
Review your insurance policies with your agent or company to ensure you are adequately protected. Many homeowners are unknowingly underinsured.
Build a home inventory. Take a video of the personal property in each room of your home and describe the items as you record. You can also use a home inventory app or a home inventory tool provided by your insurance company.
Gather copies of important documents such as titles, insurance policies, tax records, birth and marriage certificates, and Social Security cards. Store them in a password-protected cloud or with your emergency kit.
Make a list of account numbers and customer service contact information for insurance companies, banks, lenders, utilities, and landlords.
Set aside enough cash to get you and your family through the first several days after an emergency.
For more information, go to dfr.oregon.gov/preparenow.
“The more you can do before a wildfire hits your home, the better the recovery process can be,” Keen said. “When a fire strikes, there’s a lot of emotions involved, including fear, anger, and confusion, and having the right insurance policy, an inventory list and an overall plan can alleviate a lot of those fears.”
DFR also has a webpage dedicated to wildfire insurance resources. One area that often gets overlooked is how to make your home as fireproof as possible by creating defensible space by removing dry leaves, dead brush, debris, and pine needles from yards and gutters. Trim trees away from your home, barns, and sheds, and place screens over open vents on homes. These tasks reduce the fuels that enable wildfires to spread and give firefighters more time to slow the blaze.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s website has more information about defensible space.
If damaged by wildfires, DFR’s consumer advocates are available to help with any insurance questions. You can reach them at 888-877-4894 (toll-free) or dfr.insurancehelp@dcbs.oregon.gov.
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About Oregon DFR: The Division of Financial Regulation protects consumers and regulates insurance, depository institutions, trust companies, securities, and consumer financial products and services. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit dfr.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.
Kendall Flynn
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Drivers and residents in Cathedral City can expect delays eastbound on E Palm Canyon Drive from June 16 to mid-July for construction. While local businesses say it can be a nuisance to residents, it doesn’t impact their business.
The Cathedral Cove Center is set to be added to the city, with businesses including Chipotle, Starbucks and Farmer Boys. But in order to complete the construction, the roadway will have to be reduced to one lane between Cathedral Canyon Drive and Date Palm Drive.
Local businesses say they are excited for the new additions to downtown. While some may say it’s competition, they say it’ll bring more foot traffic in their doors.
“Having another businesses come around actually helps,” Nanfer Garcia said, the general manager of Desert Thai. “It’s never a competition thing, or who gets more who gets less. It’s just helping each other out as much as we can.”
Louie Caprizzi, the owner of Caprizzi’s agrees with Garcia and says he’s a firm believer the more business, the better – something he’s experienced benefiting his shop in Downtown Cathedral City.
“When I came here 10 years ago, this property was struggling. The whole downtown was,” Caprizzi said. “But since the casino came and now we’re getting a couple of fast food restaurants across the street…it’s been great.”
City officials are advising residents to take alternative routes if the construction will heavily impact their travel.
Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from local businesses on how the construction will impact them during the summer, and how the new center could increase business.
City News Service
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – The defense is slated to rest tomorrow in the trial of an ex-Riverside County sheriff’s deputy accused of gunning down a man with whom he was at odds because the victim had been involved with the lawman’s then-girlfriend.
Oscar Rodriguez, 44, is charged with first-degree murder and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations for the 2014 slaying of 39-year-old Luis Carlos Morin of Coachella.
The prosecution rested more than a week ago, and the defense has been summoning witnesses to the Larson Justice Center in Indio since then. Rodriguez took the stand in his own defense Tuesday.
It’s unclear whether the prosecution intends to call rebuttal witnesses. Because of the Juneteenth court holiday Thursday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Otis Sterling may push closing statements into next week.
Rodriguez is free on a $1 million bond.
At the time of the shooting, the defendant was romantically involved with Diana Perez, the mother of Morin’s two children. She and the then-deputy originally met in the winter of 2013, when he and others responded to 911 calls from her complaining about Morin, whom she didn’t want around her home. The man had active warrants for his arrest.
“Things went from professional to unprofessional,” Deputy District Attorney Jacob Silva said.
The prosecutor recalled in his opening statement in May how Rodriguez dated Perez throughout 2013, taking a personal interest in her ongoing conflicts.
Silva alleged Rodriguez decided to act independently, ignoring law enforcement protocols, in apprehending Morin. On the night of Jan. 27, 2014, the defendant learned that the suspect had joined family members for a birthday celebration in Palm Desert and would be returning to his mother’s home in the 48-800 block of Camino Real in Coachella.
Silva alleged Rodriguez went to the neighborhood alone in a patrol unit, parking out of sight and placing Maria Gomez’s house under surveillance.
“He refused to follow the laws and procedures put in place,” the prosecutor said. “He ignored all of his training. He consciously disregarded all those procedures and directives.”
At 9:40 p.m., Morin and his mother arrived home, and the suspect got out to direct Gomez as she backed her vehicle into a tight parking space. Silva said Rodriguez stealthily approached Morin, but the suspect was alerted and tried to run, at which point the deputy swept the man’s legs to stop him, causing both of them to fall down, Rodriguez landing on his back.
Gomez was heard shouting, “Don’t do it!” according to the defense. Attorney Mark Frederick told jurors his client inferred the statement signaled Morin was about to attack him, and he opened fire in fear for his life.
Morin, who was not armed, was fatally wounded in the left side of his chest and died at the scene. Rodriguez suffered a bruise on his back.
Frederick characterized his client as “shaken and … scared” by the encounter, which was not captured on video because not all deputies had been issued body-worn cameras at the time.
The attorney said Morin, whom he referred to as a “career criminal,” was angry about the relationship between his ex-girlfriend and Rodriguez. Frederick said several months before the deadly shooting, Perez received a message from Morin, stating, “Cop lover … Tell him to bring his A-game, because no matter what he does, he’s going to lose.”
The investigation that ensued after Morin’s death stretched several years, culminating in a grand jury indictment in 2017.
Morin’s family sued the sheriff’s department and county for wrongful death, netting a $7 million payout.
Perez was indicted along with Rodriguez, charged as being an accessory to a felony. However, the charge against her was dismissed in April.
Mitchell Kaminski
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts across much of central and southwest Missouri are temporarily offline as the National Weather Service in Springfield conducts a scheduled system upgrade, just as strong storms are forecast to impact the region.
The service disruption began Monday morning and is expected to last through Wednesday, June 18. It affects weather radio transmitters maintained by the Springfield NWS office that serve parts of Missouri, southeast Kansas, northeast Oklahoma, and northern Arkansas.
The outage comes at a critical time, with severe storms—including damaging winds, large hail, and a tornado threat—forecast for late Monday night into Tuesday.
“No warning system is foolproof,” Jonathan Kurtz, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for NWS Kansas City, told ABC 17 News. “The weather radio transmitters right now coming out of the Springfield office in Springfield, Missouri, are down because of an AWIP software build upgrade we’ve got going on.”
The Springfield office is performing a required update to its Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), which integrates and distributes weather data and warnings. The update is expected to last until Wednesday. Until then, forecast and warning duties have been temporarily shifted to backup offices in St. Louis, Paducah, and Lincoln, Illinois, to avoid major service disruptions.
Still, Kurtz emphasized the importance of being prepared.
“We’ve got storms today moving into parts of southwestern Missouri and then continuing tomorrow,” Kurtz said. “Make sure to have multiple ways to get watches and warning information. Stay tuned to local media.”
While NOAA Weather Radios are a critical tool, officials stress the importance of redundancy. FEMA estimates that an all-hazards weather radio can provide up to eight minutes of warning before a tornado strikes—time that could save lives. But other sources like mobile weather apps, local news stations, and wireless emergency alerts are also vital.
Meteorologist Chance Gotch with ABC 17 Stormtrack said weather radios remain a reliable option.
“I think they’re even better than an app. I myself have one. My parents have one just because an app is great, but if your phone dies or maybe you don’t have your sound on all the way, the radio, you set it once, you can kind of just leave it there,” Gotch explained. “If you have it plugged in and have good supply of batteries, it’s going to be something that it’s going to be keeping you a little bit more alert.”
“I think they’re even better than an app. If your phone dies or you don’t have the sound on, the weather radio’s still there plugged in, with backup batteries, keeping you alert,” Gotch said.
He added that despite growing “storm fatigue” from the recent stretch of storms, he believes people in the region are still paying attention.
“A lot of people get burnt out. But I think something that we’re seeing a lot this year is people are a lot more keen to the weather messaging. We saw what happened in Saint Louis, Pilot Grove, even in Fulton. We’ve seen a lot of tornadic damage, even some large hail down in real close to four inches. So I think storm fatigue can be real, but this year I feel like people are staying pretty on top of getting their messages and warnings, even whenever I just talk to community members,” Gotch said.
The full list of affected counties includes Boone, Cole, Phelps, Pulaski. A complete breakdown of impacted transmitters can be found at weather.gov/nwr/wfo_list?WFO=SGF.
NOAA broadcasts are expected to resume service by Wednesday. Until then, officials urge residents to remain weather aware and ensure they have at least two or three reliable ways to receive emergency alerts.
Jesus Reyes
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A 23-year-old man pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in connection with a deadly shooting last week at the Motel 6 in Indio.
Cameron Isaiah Maestas was arrested Friday, hours after the deadly shooting at the Motel 6 on Indio Boulevard, near Sun Gold Street and Fred Waring Drive. The shooting was initially reported at around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday. A 27-year-old man was pronounced dead.
Maestas was arraigned Wednesday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Arthur Hester, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for June 27 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Police say the investigation revealed there was a dispute between the victim and the suspect before the shooting.
A white Toyota Camry with paper plates was seen fleeing the scene, police said. Investigators used video surveillance footage from the motel as well as from Flock Cameras to get a description of the vehicle. A detective spotted the suspect vehicle passing by near the crime scene.
During a traffic stop on the vehicle, police found a bag thrown from within the vehicle on the street. The bag contained a loaded Glock semi-automatic firearm. Officers were also able to confirm that the vehicle was the same as the one they were looking for from the shooting.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.
Nia Hinson
EDITOR’S NOTE: The number of juveniles arrested Tuesday has been corrected.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Children routinely gather at the Peace and Hope Center for Youth on Providence Road in Columbia, and Tuesday was no different.
The nonprofit organization works with at-risk youth in the community.
While there, they participate in activities such as going to the park, playing kickball and doing crafts. During the school year, the center also offers an after-school program. There’s laughter while they play video games and make bracelets, but they’re sometimes reminded by the things that occur outside of those walls.
An 18-year-old was killed in a shooting Sunday night at a Columbia apartment complex. Police said Tuesday that the weekend robbery of a business on Scott Boulevard and the shooting on East Broadway are linked.
Glasgow police also confirmed Tuesday that three suspects, two of whom are juveniles, were taken into custody on Tuesday after a manhunt. A fourth juvenile was taken into custody earlier in the week on suspicion of second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.
“It makes me feel scared because it can happen to any of us,” Laila Lallemand, who participates in the program, said.
Lallemand started going to the program last year, after she says she needed to find a new after-school program. She is one of many youths at the center who hope others in the community will choose a different path.
“Kids are getting hurt,” Dayah Mitchell, another enrollee, said. “And when they get hurt, they probably will like pass and it’s not right because the family is going to be hurt and they’re going to think about it like why did they do that.”
Columbia Deputy Chief Matt Stephens told ABC 17 News Monday night that he believes juveniles have been “running reckless” recently. Stephens said it’s hard to know exactly how children are able to get their hands on guns.
“You know, when you have people that leave guns in cars and then cars get broken into, that’s one thing,” Stephens said. “When you have you know, a bunch of people that are just passing them back and forth you know through different means, there’s a bunch of different ways that people get hands on guns and they shouldn’t have them.”
A’niya Jackson is also enrolled at the program, something she said has helped her stay out of trouble. She attributed much of that growth to Lonnie Lockhart Bey and Julian Jackman, who help run the program, saying they showed her how a better path to take.
“It’s simply a testament to the work, right?” Lockhart Bey said. “It’s a testament to us fighting to rediscover and rebuilding.”
Others like Everleigh Thornton hope children who tend to turn toward violence would reach out for help.
“You can’t change the past, but you can definitely make your future better,” Thornton said. “For all these choices that you’re making and all these bad things that you’re doing, they’re bad…but you can, if you always think about what you’re gonna do, you can change the kind of person you’re gonna be.”
Seth Ratliff
TETON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — A man and woman are in custody following a drug seizure near Henderson Canyon that uncovered numerous firearms and trafficking quantities of methamphetamine and other illicit drugs.
On Monday, June 16, at approximately 6:30 AM, Teton County Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant at the home. Two people were in the home at the time, identified as Adam Reid and Meghann Wagoner. During the search, authorities reportedly discovered 17 firearms, as well as trafficking amounts of methamphetamine, marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, and various narcotics paraphernalia.
Reid and Wagoner have both been charged with trafficking methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana. Additionally, Reid faces a charge of possession of psilocybin mushrooms with intent to deliver.
Adam Reid has been booked into the Jefferson County Jail, while Meghann Wagoner is being held at the Bonneville County Jail.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Editor’s note: The story was updated to say the two were found in the home.
