Month: August 2026

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – A woman was killed, and two men were injured following an explosion and house fire in Twentynine Palms Friday night.

The incident was first reported just before 8:30 p.m. on the 6400 block of Ocotillo Avenue.

Deputies from the Morongo Basin Station were dispatched to a residence to assist the fire department with a house fire, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies arrived and learned the house had exploded.

A 46-year-old woman and two men, ages 41 and 72, were confirmed to have been inside the home when it exploded. Police said the woman was unable to escape the residence and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her identity has not been released.

The two men were hospitalized with burns.

Sheriff’s Arson/Bomb Detail also responded and has assumed the investigation. The cause is still being investigated.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Arson / Bomb Detail at (909) 805-4937. Callers wishing to remain anonymous should call or text REPORT to We-Tip at 844-909-3006.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates as we continue to learn more about the incident.

THOUSAND PALMS, CALIF. (KESQ)- Two dog food manufacturers have issued product recalls following reports of contamination risks. On Aug. 21, 2026, Fromm Family Foods LLC recalled Fromm wet canned dog food due to potential metal contamination.

That announcement followed an Aug. 17, 2026, recall by Oma’s Pride for raw canine food linked to potential salmonella contamination.

The Oma’s Pride recall involves 639 bags of frozen Woof Complete Canine Chicken Recipe. Food and Drug Administration testing triggered by a consumer complaint confirmed the presence of salmonella in a product sample. Three dog illnesses have been reported in connection with the product, while no human illnesses have been identified.

The affected Oma’s Pride product is sold in six-pound gusseted stand-up pouches containing 12 individually wrapped, eight-ounce vacuum-sealed portions.

The recalled lot was manufactured on Jan. 27, 2026, with a best-by date of Jan. 27, 2029. Between Feb. 12 and May 15, 2026, the bags were distributed to retailers and wholesalers in 11 states: Arizona, Calif., Ind., Ky., La., Md., Nev., N.J., N.Y., Pa. and Virginia, as well as directly to consumers through online orders.

Salmonella contamination poses health risks to pets consuming the food and to humans handling it, particularly if hands and surfaces are not thoroughly washed. Infected animals may experience lethargy, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, decreased appetite and abdominal pain, though healthy pets can also act as symptomless carriers. Humans exposed to salmonella can experience symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever, with potential risks for severe complications such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.

Pet owners who purchased the recalled raw dog food are instructed to stop feeding it to their animals immediately, dispose of the product safely and contact Oma’s Pride for a full refund. Consumers should also wash and sanitize all pet bowls, cups and storage containers that came into contact with the food. Oma’s Pride addressed the recalled lot in a statement to customers. “The health and safety of pets and the people who care for them is our highest priority,” the company said. “We are proud of the food we make and we remain committed to producing high-quality, biologically appropriate pet food.”

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) — A 2025 study shows a relationship between dirty solar panels and decreased power output.

With more than 300 sunny days a year, solar panels are a common way to generate electricity in desert regions. But even a little dust could potentially reduce energy output by around 20% on average.

Wind gusts are common, which can blow dust onto and cover solar panels.

Tonight on News Channel 3, learn what steps you can take to ensure your solar panels are working at peak efficiency.

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – A driver was rushed to the hospital after a rollover crash in Cathedral City Friday night.

The crash was reported just after 8:50 p.m. on Varner Road, just west of Edom Hill Road.

The driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, sustained major injuries and was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.

Police said impairment is not suspected as a contributing factor in the collision. The investigation remains ongoing.

If you have information related to this incident or believe you may have information, please contact the Cathedral City Police at (760) 770-0300 or via the Cathedral City Police Department website at: cathedralcitypolice.com; or email tips@cathedralcity.gov.

You may also report information anonymously through Coachella Valley Crime Stoppers, by calling (760) 341-STOP; or through the WeTip hotline at: 1-(800)-78-CRIME or WWW.WETIP.com . Some tip information may qualify for a cash reward.

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – As the extreme summer heat pushes energy use across the valley, Imperial Irrigation District’s electric system has reached its peak, and meeting that demand requires planning, coordination, and real-time response across IID’s electric system.

News Channel 3 anchor Peter Daut spoke in depth about it today with IID’s public information officer, Moises Cardenas.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A 31-year-old Jurupa Valley man was found guilty of murder for supplying a relative with fentanyl that caused his death in 2023.

John Fredrick Sandoval was convicted of second-degree murder on Tuesday at the Hall of Justice in Riverside, the District Attorney’s Office announced. It marks the fourth case of its kind in Riverside County to result in a guilty verdict by a jury.

Deputy District Attorney Tim Mulhere presented evidence at trial showcasing that Sandoval understood the dangers of the drug yet proceeded with distributing it.

Sandoval is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29.

Sandoval was arrested in 2023 following a nearly four-month-long Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the death of George Sandoval, 29, of Lake Matthews.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Sean Liebrand, on the morning of April 7, 2023, patrol deputies and paramedics were called to the victim’s residence in the 22000 block of Piedras Road, near Gavilan Road, to investigate reports of an unconscious man.

Deputies attempted life-saving measures on the victim until paramedics arrived and continued the effort, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

“The coroner’s bureau later determined that he died as a result of fentanyl poisoning, and the case was assumed by the sheriff’s Overdose Investigations & Narcotics Unit,” Liebrand said. “As a result of their efforts, the suspect was identified as John Sandoval.”

A search warrant was obtained and served in early June 2023 at the convicted felon’s residence in the 8400 block of Saddle Creek Drive, where deputies “deputies seized two kilos of suspected fentanyl,” the sergeant said.

He said Sandoval was booked into jail on drug-related charges, not for murder, as the investigation was incomplete. The defendant pleaded guilty less than three weeks later to two counts of possession of controlled substances for sale, as well as being a narcotic addict in possession of afirearm and possession of an assault rifle.

He was sentenced to two years’ felony probation.

By the end of August 2023, detectives had gathered sufficient evidence to seek a murder charge against him, and the District Attorney’s Office filed a new criminal complaint.

In addition to his most recent conviction, Sandoval has a prior misdemeanor conviction for driving under the influence.

Since February 2021, prosecutors have charged more than three dozen people in connection with fentanyl poisonings. Three prosecutions have resulted in murder convictions.

Preliminary county health department statistics indicated there were 229 suspected fentanyl-related fatalities countywide in 2025, compared to 351 confirmed poisonings in 2024, a roughly 40% decline.

Fentanyl is manufactured in overseas labs, principally in China, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which says the synthetic opioid is smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border by cartels.

Fentanyl is 80-100 times more potent than morphine and can be mixed into any number of street narcotics and prescription drugs, without a recipient knowing what he or she is consuming. Ingestion of only two milligrams can be fatal.