Month: August 2026

Luis Avila

CALEXICO, Calif. (KESQ) — Federal, state and local officials gathered in Calexico Tuesday to address longstanding concerns over pollution in the New River and its potential impact on communities across the Imperial and Coachella valleys.

Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz joined state, federal, and other local officials for a tour of the New River.

The visit was part of a broader effort to improve water quality, strengthen cooperation between agencies in the U.S. and Mexico, and address pollution at its source.

Officials later held a public roundtable at the City of Calexico’s Fernando “Nene” Torres Council Chambers. Discussions focused on ongoing improvements to the river, infrastructure needs, binational coordination and a water sampling study involving multiple agencies.

Ruiz said officials are working to finalize the study before reaching a negotiated agreement that could help move cleanup efforts forward more quickly.

“We are currently finalizing a water study that was done by all the different agencies,” Ruiz said. “Once we get the negotiated agreement just like they did for the TJ River then things can move a lot quicker than they would otherwise happen.”

EPA officials said addressing the New River will require both infrastructure improvements and efforts to hold Mexico accountable for pollution crossing the border.

The pollution has also raised concerns for people who live and work around the river and for nearby communities.

“I talk to some of our first responders. When there’s a car accident in the river or someone in the river, when they put their foot in, they come out with rashes, they come back injured. I am hearing about cancer clusters, asthma,” said Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez.

The New River flows from Mexico through Calexico and eventually drains into the Salton Sea, connecting the Imperial Valley’s water quality concerns to the larger environmental challenges facing the Coachella Valley.

“When the Salton Sea starts to recede and the playa is exposed it contains those chemicals,” Ruiz said. “When you have the dust in the air, people breathe those chemicals.”

Funding remains another challenge. Officials say the resources currently available to operate cleanup equipment are not enough to cover the cost of running it.

The long-term goal is to address the source of the pollution before it reaches the New River and eventually the Salton Sea.

Officials did not provide an exact timeline for when a final agreement or additional cleanup work could begin.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

Click here to follow the original article.

Gavin Nguyen

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Any time an alert pops up for a missing person, the community goes on high alert.

When kids and teenagers are involved, it becomes an even greater priority.

This summer, a number of teenagers in the Coachella Valley have been reported missing.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office alerted the public to a missing 14-year-old girl in Palm Springs, Isabella Paola Rojas.

In late July, News Channel 3 also reported on a missing 17-year-old in Cathedral City. He was found safely.

Keeping kids engaged is one of the key ways to keep them off the streets and away from risky behaviors.

One of the programs doing that is the Boys and Girls Club of Cathedral City. Inside, on any given day, you can typically find dozens of teenagers and kids using the space to build connections, skills, and find themselves.

“Our goal is to help you find your gift,” said the club’s CEO, Scott Robinson. “And if you find your gift, you’re connected, you know, and the world is a pretty wonderful place.”

Whenever he hears the news of a missing juvenile, it hits hard. “It breaks my heart because there’s many different levels of where it could be, from mental illness, to just conflict within the family unit, [or] not having a safe place to have a mentor.”

According to the National Child Protection Task Force, more than 350,000 missing children are reported annually in the United States. More than 90% of those cases involve kids who are endangered runaways. Every child that is reported missing is at risk of being exploited, abused, or trafficked. That’s the reason why the Boys and Girls Club strives for prevention by surrounding the kids who frequent its facility with positive role models from a young age.

“What we try to do as a prevention model, catch, catch them at a younger age, help them find sense of self, build their self-esteem and give them a place, a safe place where they continue to learn and grow,” Robinson said.

He admitted, not every teen that comes through the club’s doors is able to be saved from choosing the wrong path. But, even then, he said his staff helps those children find a way forward to steer them back to the right path.

Many of the children there came from families that needed extra support. Robinson said roughly 60% are single-parent families who might not have the time to do homework with their kids or provide them with extracurricular activities.

It’s programs like the Boys and Girls Club that fill those gaps, and it was clear to see how much of a connection the staff built with the kids. From sharing friendly matches of ping pong to fist bumps and high-fives, the dozens of teens who showed up clearly wanted to be there.

“It makes me so proud because I know where they could be,” Robinson said with a smile. “They could be on the streets. We have all kinds of programs to prevent them from doing horrible stuff. And they’re here… they’re choosing to be here.”

For more information on the programs the Boys and Girls Club of Cathedral City provides, you can visit their website by clicking here.

Click here to follow the original article.

Garrett Hottle

Update 8/18/26

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (KESQ) – Robert Rosado was arraigned on Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty to two counts of Possess Weapon/Etc On Or Within School Grounds.

Rosado is scheduled to return to court for a Pre-Preliminary Hearing on Aug. 21 in Joshua Tree.

As of Tuesday night, he remains in custody on $500,000 bail, according to jail records.

Original Report 8/17/26

JOSHUA TREE, Calif. (KESQ) – A man accused of repeatedly showing up at two Twentynine Palms school campuses armed and dressed in tactical gear was charged on Monday with two counts of possessing weapons on school property.

Robert Rosado, 29, of Twentynine Palms was booked on suspicion of bringing a firearm and other weapons onto school grounds and remains in custody on $30,000 bail, jail records show.

Rosado is set to be arraigned via video in Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday, according to court records.

A photo obtained by News Channel 3 shows Rosado at the back of a vehicle in the pickup area of Twentynine Palms Elementary School two days before his arrest. It was taken by the parent who reported him to police, who asked not to be identified. The parent has picked up his own kids at the school for more than a decade, he told News Channel 3.

It was an early release day last Wednesday when the parent, walking out with his kids, noticed a man across the lot pulling something on over his shirt. His first thought, he said, was a jacket. In the desert. In August. Then he saw the rest: a ballistic vest, a duty belt, and what appeared to be a gun on the man’s hip.

The parent said he alerted a school staff member, who told him the man had shown up dressed the same way for days and figured he was law enforcement. Not satisfied, the parent said he called the Morongo Basin Station’s school resource deputy directly.

Investigators reviewed school surveillance video and identified Rosado, the department said. He was seen wearing a tactical-style ballistic vest, a law enforcement duty belt, a baton, pepper spray and a firearm, according to the department, which says he had worn the same equipment at both Twentynine Palms Elementary and Twentynine Palms Junior High School the day before.

Detectives obtained warrants to search the man’s Twentynine Palms home and for Rosado’s arrest, the department said. Before either could be served, the man returned to the junior high just after noon Thursday and tried to enter the campus while armed and in tactical gear, according to the department. Staff refused him entry, notified deputies and placed the school on lockdown. He left in a minivan.

Deputies used automated license plate reader technology to track the vehicle and arrested Rosado a short time later. Booking records list the arrest at the Morongo Unified School District office, a block from the junior high.

In the vehicle, deputies found items the department described as consistent with impersonating a law enforcement officer, including a load-bearing vest with an attached body camera, handcuffs, a taser, a badge and a less-lethal firearm.

When deputies served the search warrant at Rosado’s home, they found three children living there with his girlfriend, according to the department. Deputies described the home as extremely unsanitary, with dirt, debris and filth throughout and insects spread through the residence. County social workers responded, and a willful child endangerment investigation was opened.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact the sheriff’s Morongo Basin Station at (760) 366-4175 or leave an anonymous tip with We-Tip at (844) 909-3006.

News Channel Three received the following statement from the Morongo Unified School District:

“The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. We understand that news of this incident is concerning to our families and community. We want to reassure everyone that our schools take every report of a potential threat seriously. Our staff are trained to follow established safety procedures, and we will continue working closely with local law enforcement to maintain a safe and secure learning environment.

We would also like to remind our community that schools are weapon-free zones. Please help us protect our students and staff by adhering to all applicable laws and school safety policies. Thank you to our students, families, staff, law enforcement partners, and entire community for your continued support, cooperation, and commitment to keeping our schools safe.”

This story will be updated with additional info as it becomes available.

Click here to follow the original article.

Jesus Reyes

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Nine people are out of their home Tuesday night following a fire in Indio.

The fire was reported just before 9:10 p.m. on the 44700 block of Palm Street.

“Firefighters on-scene of a single-story single-family dwelling with heavy fire visible,” reads a post for CAL FIRE.

The fire was contained by 11 p.m., with crews remaining on scene for mop-up. No injuries were reported.

CAL FIRE officials said it was determined that the fire was in outside debris and power lines. Firefighters were able to keep it from spreading into the structure.

Eight adults and one child will be displaced due to power being shut off at the residence. They are being assisted by the American Red Cross Southern California Region.

The Imperial Irrigation District was also requested to the scene for assistance.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

Click here to follow the original article.