Author: KESQ

Jesus Reyes

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – A house fire in Palm Desert left one person displaced Wednesday afternoon.

The fire was reported at around 5:50 p.m. on the 44700 block De Anza Way.

“Firefighters are on-scene of a single-story single family dwelling fire, first arriving unit reported heavy fire from the house and requested additional equipment,” reads a post by CAL FIRE.

The fire was knocked down at 6:13 PM.

CAL FIRE confirmed there were no injuries reported.

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Jesus Reyes

MECCA, Calif. (KESQ) – 8 people were taken to the hospital after a collision in Mecca on Wednesday afternoon.

The crash was reported just after 3:30 p.m. on 66th Avenue and Buchanan Street.

The crash was initially reported by authorities as a head-on collision; however, the California Highway Patrol clarified after releasing details on Thursday.

According to CHP, it was a three-vehicle crash where a silver Toyota 4 Runner collided into the rear of a silver Chevrolet Silverado, which subsequently collided into the rear of a white Chevrolet Silverado.

Authorities at the scene told News Channel 3 that a four-year-old child was airlifted to Loma Linda in critical condition. Three other people were transported with injuries ranging from moderate to major. Four people suffered minor injuries. All injured people were in the Silverado.

66th Avenue was briefly closed, but was back open by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.

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Jesus Reyes

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (KESQ) – Organizers for the BNP Paribas Open unveiled the full lineup of on-site food and beverage options for fans visiting the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in March.

The lineup is headlined by three new concession partners – Sweetfin, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese and Pacha Mamas – as well as an elevated renovation of the Circle of Palms in partnership with Veroni, the Official Charcuterie Partner of the BNP Paribas Open.

“A thoughtfully curated food and beverage program is an essential part of the Tennis Paradise experience, and the 2026 improvements reflect our continued focus on enhancing the on-site offering for fans,” said Philippe Dore, Chief Marketing Officer at the BNP Paribas Open. “From the reimagined Circle of Palms to a wider range of dining options, there is always something for everyone to enjoy this spring.”

Sweetfin, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, and Pacha Mamas Added To 2026 Concessionaire Roster

Sweetfin will make its debut at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in 2026, with the Santa Monica-based chain serving up their California-inspired signature poke bowls in the Food Village.

Fans with a Stadium 1 ticket will be able to enjoy a new concession concept from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, with the Seattle-based artisan cheesemaker bringing its award-winning mac and cheese, tomato cheddar soup and other classics for fans to enjoy throughout the fortnight in Indian Wells.

Las Vegas-based Pacha Mamas rounds out the trio of new 2026 concessionaires, bringing their Peruvian rice bowls with freshly grilled meats and vegetables for an exciting new concession option in Stadium 2.

Reimagined Circle of Palms To Feature World-Class Hospitality Experience

The famed Tennis Paradise Circle of Palms has undergone a significant upgrade in the heart of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and will serve as the home of the brand-new Veroni Charcuterie and Champagne Lounge.

The new Circle of Palms will feature a two-story open-air structure with full food and beverage service for fans to enjoy Veroni’s signature charcuterie as well as a curated selection of premium beverages.

Nobu Indian Wells, MOTO Pizza, and Other Fan-Favorites On The Menu For 2026

The full food and beverage lineup at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open will feature more than 40 acclaimed vendors showcasing a full range of culinary excellence including world-class restaurants, premium beverage vendors, and local Coachella Valley favorites

The BNP Paribas Open will offer four full-service restaurants with Nobu Indian Wells, Ristorante Mamma Gina, and Molé Ingenious Mexican Kitchen returning in Stadium 2, as well as Porta Via in Stadium 1. Fan-favorite concessions like the award-winning MOTO Pizza and Puesto are back on the menu for 2026, as well as local Coachella Valley favorites like John’s and Chef Tanya’s Kitchen.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage of the BNP Paribas Open.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Jury deliberations got underway Wednesday in the trial of two of three men accused of gunning down a 24-year-old Riverside resident after carjacking him and his girlfriend.

Qevon Xavier Harvey, 27, of Desert Hot Springs and Trezell Lamone Heckard, 30, of Vallejo are accused in the 2022 slaying of Benjamin Chanes.   

A third alleged conspirator, Anthony Antoine Wright, 33, of Indio is also accused in the killing.

The trio are all charged with first-degree murder, two counts each of carjacking and kidnapping and one count of burglary, along with special circumstance allegations of killing in the course of a robbery, killing in the course of a kidnapping and killing in the course of a burglary.

Wright is additionally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations. He was initially assigned a jury in the same courtroom as his co defendants at the Riverside Hall of Justice, but proceedings were suspended in his case last month for reasons unclear. Wright is now set for trial on Feb. 11.   

The prosecution and defense concluded final summations in the trial of Harvey and Heckard on Tuesday, and Riverside County Superior Court Judge Charles Koosed directed jurors to return to the downtown courthouse Wednesday to begin deliberating.

According to an arrest warrant declaration filed by the Riverside Police Department, on the afternoon of March 6, 2022, Chanes and his girlfriend, identified in documents only as “N.D.,” were returning to Riverside from Los Angeles in her vehicle, with him at the wheel, when they came to a stop in an unfamiliar area after exiting the freeway and were immediately approached by one of the defendants allegedly wielding a handgun.

The armed suspect approached the driver’s side and ordered Benjamin out at gunpoint, the affidavit stated. Chanes complied, at which point “additional … males told (N.D.) to get out of the car, and they took her to another waiting vehicle and told her to keep her head down. She did what she was told.”  

The woman later informed Robbery-Homicide Unit detectives that Chanes was seated in her car, while she was forced to drive with several of the defendants in their vehicle, a 2011 Chevrolet Impala. The trip lasted 15 minutes, after which both vehicles were parked outside the Boulder Creek Apartment Complex on Iowa Avenue, according to the declaration.   

Police said the defendants then hustled Chanes and N.D. into the victim’s apartment, pushing the woman into a closet, then demanding to know from Chanes “where the money was” kept. For about 10 minutes, the defendants ransacked the apartment, with N.D. in the closet, unable to see where her boyfriend was being held, the affidavit alleged.   

Chanes abruptly bolted from the apartment when the men were distracted, but they immediately gave chase, according to police.   

While he was attempting to run away, Wright allegedly opened fire on the victim, inflicting multiple gunshots to his back, causing Chanes to collapse on the sidewalk, according to the affidavit.

The young man died a short time later at Riverside Community Hospital.  

The defendants fled in the woman’s vehicle, leaving behind their own Chevy sedan, police alleged. N.D., who was not injured, emerged from the closet and called 911 moments after the gunfire.  

Detectives gathered fingerprint and other evidence from the Chevy, leading them to one of the defendants’ social media accounts, in which revelations about the shooting ultimately came to light, according to the affidavit.

The men were arrested at different times over an 18-month span.   

Their co-defendant, Kahlin Cynque Erwin, 30, of Pittsburgh, Calif., pleaded guilty in 2024 to kidnapping and is due for sentencing on June 8. He’s free on a $55,000 bond.

Harvey and Wright are each being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail, while Heckard is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility. Details regarding his and Wright’s prior convictionswere unavailable.

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Athena Jreij

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – As the United States of America prepares to celebrate it’s 250th birthday this year, authors and historians from around the country are reflecting on the country’s birth, present nature and future.

For many, high political tensions are top of mind, including the recent killing of U.S. citizen Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last week.

The first day of speakers featured big names like former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, former Deputy Chief of Staff to George W. Bush, Karl Rove, Admiral William H. McRaven, author Rick Atkinson, and more.

Tune in tonight at 4, 5, and 6 as News Channel 3’s Athena Jreij speaks with presenters on the message of this year’s festival.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – The Desert Sands Unified School District is responding to a planned student walkout on Friday in response to immigration activity.

According to the district, there are flyers on social media and school property being posted by people not associated with DSUSD, calling for student walkouts on Friday.

Palm Desert High School Principal Sarit Saig reminded families that students are not allowed to leave campus or participate in off-campus demonstrations during the school day without written parent/guardian permission and completion of standard checkout procedures. 

“While we respect the right to peaceful protest, the safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority. We do not believe it is safe for students to walk to City Hall, and we do not condone students leaving campus for this or any other activity without parent permission, following sign-out procedures and appropriate supervision,” Saig wrote in a letter to families on Wednesday.

Full letter from Saig below:

Dear Palm Desert High School Families, 

Desert Sands Unified School District and Palm Desert High School have been made aware of flyers circulating on social media and being posted on school property by individuals who are not affiliated with DSUSD, calling for student walkouts on Friday, January 30th, in response to immigration activity.

Please be advised that while we respect students’ rights to free expression and create spaces for their views to be expressed, students are not permitted to leave campus or participate in off-campus demonstrations during the school day without written parent/guardian permission and completion of standard checkout procedures. 

While we respect the right to peaceful protest, the safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority. We do not believe it is safe for students to walk to City Hall, and we do not condone students leaving campus for this or any other activity without parent permission, following sign-out procedures and appropriate supervision.

Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping students safe.

Sincerely,Sarit SaigPrincipal, Palm Desert High School

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Jesus Reyes

THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – The Coachella Valley Unified School District reported mold findings at Desert Mirage High School and Toro Canyon Middle School.

District officials said they received results indicating positive mold findings in several shared areas of the schools, including the electrical room, library tech room, and the Desert Mirage Attendance Office. The two schools share a campus in Thermal.

“CVUSD has engaged certified environmental professionals to conduct independent assessments and guide the remediation process. The safety of our students and staff remains our top priority, and the District is acting with urgency, responsibility, and transparency to address this matter and ensure a safe school environment,” CVUSD wrote Wednesday.

The district said families and staff have been notified directly. Certified experts are overseeing each step of the process, and CVUSD will continue to communicate openly throughout the process.

Last month, CVUSD reported mold in two classrooms at John Kelley Elementary School. Parents allege black mold at the school as well, even filing seven lawsuits against the district. CVUSD officials have stated this was not the case, and there was no presence of black mold found. The district released the findings from a third-party agency.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

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Gavin Nguyen

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Infrastructure improvements are coming near Acrisure Arena, with officials hoping to strengthen utilities for further development in the area.

Imperial Irrigation District (IID) announced a new substation north of I-10 and west of Cook Street, within Thousand Palms, is moving forward. Most recently, the City of Palm Desert signed a cost-sharing agreement with IID to bring the substation online. With Palm Desert joining the agreement, IID officials said all government entities involved were signed on, further advancing the project.

According to the utility company, the estimated $39.6 million substation is expected to strengthen the local electric system, serving approximately 8,000 residential and commercial customers.

Areas serviced by Imperial Irrigation District, highlighted in yellow, near the Cook St. Substation

They also said it’s a needed upgrade in an area bottlenecked by power constraints.

Construction for the substation is projected for 2027 with a projected completion date of 2028.

News Channel 3 spoke with Mayor Evan Trubee of Palm Desert about the substation project. We asked, “When you talk about power in specific, is that sort of a bottleneck right now in that area that’s limiting that growth?”

The mayor said, “It was, but the Palm Desert way is we solve problems. And so I tip my hat to staff,the city manager, for coming up with a really creative agreement that gets this substation built without any undue burden on the Palm Desert residents.”

The cost-share agreement that the city signed, along with six other partners, places the burden of the nearly $40 million substation on those government entities. According to Trubee, no added tax or fee will be placed on residents. In the years to come, though, land owners and developers using that power will pay the money back to the government entities as a part of that agreement.

Power problems in the area have stopped some development and caused power outages at Acrisure Arena. We asked officials with the utility company if these upgrades will satisfy the needs of the area.

“If you’re talking about specific to that area, I would I would say yes,” answered Robert Schettler, Strategic Communications Specialist with Imperial Irrigation District. “If you’re talking about the whole entire Coachella Valley, which is what we’re looking at, our service area, yeah, we’re planning for the future.”

Mayor Trubee agreed with that forward-looking mindset when it comes to development in the area.

“Several thousand homes [are] being built there, those residents are going to need to be served both by electricity, of course, as well as future commercial development. We want those residents to have the same services and opportunities that the rest of the city has,” he said.

The mayor pointed to several infrastructure projects aimed at paving the way for thousands of new homes and residents in the area, too. That includes Fire Station 102, located near Gerald Ford Drive and Cook Street. It will alleviate some of the burden from other fire stations in the area – which city officials say see high call volumes – and provide public safety for the new developments.

He said there’s a lot of interest in the area to developers: “That’s one of the few sort of last remaining pieces of Palm Desert that is open and available to to develop and grow.”

Supervisor Manuel Perez also wrote in a statement:

The Cook Street Substation would generate development opportunities for economic development, affordable housing and workforce housing.  It would not only support the county and community of Thousand Palms, but the cities of Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage with projects in the pipeline.  It will help everyone and open the door to more economic development opportunities.

Supervisor Perez is very proud of all the partners: Riverside County, the City of Palm Desert, the City of Rancho Mirage, the Berger Foundation and IID, for advancing this agreement for the benefit of our Coachella Valley communities.

Stay with us for the latest as the substation project moves forward, along with other housing and commercial developments in the Thousand Palms/north Palm Desert areas continue.

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Luis Avila

ADELANTO, Calif. (KESQ) – Congressman Raul Ruiz visited the Adelanto Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility on Wednesday morning. After about an hour, he was ultimately denied from entering.

This comes after a previous denial of entry in July 2025 and recent ICE operations facing public scrutiny.

“We have been continuing to hear reports of people receiving inadequate food, water, people overcrowded conditions. We have already seen death from abuse, death from, uh, medical conditions that were not treated adequately. Or with a sense of urgency like the gentleman who died in Indio JFK Hospital after he had repeatedly informed the individuals that he was having chest pain. His family called with concerns, and he died days later. And so that is what we need to observe. We need to investigate,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz said he gave an 8-day notice to the facility of his arrival, complying with a DHS 7-day policy, but ICE officials told him he didn’t receive a reply. If he didn’t receive a reply, he wouldn’t be allowed in.

Following his stop to Adelanto, Ruiz joined other representatives for a press conference outside the ICE offices in San Bernardino.

The group called out the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) use of brutality and violence, demanding accountability from the Trump Administration for terrorizing communities and murdering American citizens. They also called for the immediate removal of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

News Channel 3’s Luis Avila traveled to Adelanto and San Bernardino. He’ll have more on the visit tonight starting at 4 p.m.

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Timothy Foster

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) –  The Coachella Valley community gathered in remembrance and reflection at the 17th Annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day Program on Wednesday morning.

More than 200 people gathered at the Palm Desert Civic Park Amphitheater, adjacent to the Holocaust Memorial founded by Holocaust survivors Joe Brandt and Earl Greif.

The annual program honors the memory of the six million Jewish victims murdered during the Holocaust, while also commemorating the hundreds of thousands of Roma, homosexuals, people with disabilities, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others who were killed by the Nazi regime.

This year’s remembrance included special tributes to victims of more recent acts of violence. Organizers honored the 15 individuals murdered in Bondi Beach, Australia, during a Hanukkah celebration, as well as remember the 1,219 people killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, attack.

As part of the program, heroes from the Bondi Beach tragedy were recognized with the Mensch Award.

Those unable to attend the Palm Desert ceremony will be honored the same day at a parallel event in Bondi, held at the site where the attack occurred. In addition, Harold Matzner and Alan Potash will be awarded the Mensch Award posthumously.

Community members wishing to support the program and its mission are encouraged to make a contribution through the Mensch Foundation at www.MenschFoundation.org/Donate.htm.

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