Palm Springs Pride suspending promotional ties with Silvercrest Advertising
Garrett Hottle
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) Greater Palm Springs Pride has suspended its promotional relationship with Silvercrest Advertising after the company’s CEO, William Rodriguez, was arrested this week on homicide charges connected to a 2024 hit-and-run crash that killed 60-year-old Christina Barrington in Cathedral City.
On Friday morning, the Pride organization’s website still listed Silvercrest as a presenting sponsor of the upcoming Palm Springs Equality Walk scheduled for Oct. 25, 2025.
As of 10am Friday morning, the Greater Palms Springs Pride page pspride.org listed Silvercrest as a sponsor. It has since been changed.
News Channel 3 reached out to PS Pride CEO and President Ron deHarte who in a statement acknowledged the listing and announced it has paused all promotional ties with Silvercrest.
“We are deeply saddened and disturbed by the recent news regarding the arrest and serious charges filed against the CEO of Silvercrest Advertising,” President & CEO of Palm Springs Pride, Ron deharte said in a statemnet. “Our primary thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Ms. Christina Barrington, and we extend our most sincere condolences for their loss in this tragedy. The charges involve a personal legal matter entirely separate from our organization. We are suspending active promotional activities tied to Silvercrest Advertising and have no other sponsorships with the company.”
Screenshot of Pspride.org website as of Friday, Oct. 17 4:24pm shows Silvercrest has been changed to Arenas.
Rodriguez, who founded the Palm Springs-based advertising firm, posted bond Thursday after being booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on charges of murder, felony hit-and-run causing death, and driving on a suspended license tied to a prior DUI.
Prosecutors allege Rodriguez hit Barrington’s scooter after leaving an Eric Clapton concert at Acrisure Arena last October, dragged it for more than 1,300 feet, and left the scene. He’s due back in court Oct. 24 for a felony settlement conference.