Author: KESQ

Jesus Reyes

BIG BEAR, Calif. (KESQ) – Shadow, the male Big Bear bald eagle, has been spotted with another eagle in the nest he previously shared with Jackie.

This is just a few days after Jackie, Shadow’s partner of eight years, died following weeks in intensive care at the Ojai Raptor Center.

On Thursday, the Friends of Big Bear Valley nest cam captured the two eagles spending time in the nest together for the first time.

Biologists say “KD-1,” another bald eagle tracked since her birth, is almost of breeding age.

Shadow’s last nest visit was on July 23, according to the Friends of Big Bear Valley.

The nonprofit added that KD1 first visited the nest on Aug. 10, just hours after it was announced Jackie had passed and has stopped by a couple of times since then.

KD1 was first hatched in March 2022 in Southern California. Experts have not been able to confirm whether KD1 is a female or not, but the eagle is larger than Shadow. Female eagles are 25-33% larger than males.

It is still too early to know if Shadow will return to the nest and mate, and Shadow would be unlikely to seek another mate until his hormones kick in later in the year.

“Shadow glided into the nest this afternoon, with KD1 not far behind. It is great to see Shadow up close and doing well. Is this a new bond forming between these 2? Well, it could be and it may not be, only time will tell. We can only observe and see what takes place once breeding season is upon us, which will not be until later this fall/winter season.

In the meantime, we are happy to see Shadow has some company out there in the habitat.”

-Friends of Big Bear Valley

As for Jackie, the nonprofit noted that talks have begun with other local organizations and agencies for how to memoralize the beloved eagle, but at this time, there is no information to share on a possible gathering to remember her. FOBBV officials said that when they have something to announce, they will share it on their official Facebook page.

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Jesus Reyes

BLYTHE, Calif. (KESQ) – A pastor who has served at churches in the Indio and Blythe area was arrested on Wednesday after allegations of sexually assaulting a minor, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office announced.

Lino Hernandez, 41, of Mesa Verde, was taken into custody at his residence in Blythe.

He has been booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio and faces multiple sexual assault charges. Hernandez is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, according to jail records.

The investigation dates back to June 2026, the agency reported. Additional details were not available as of Thursday evening.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office believes there may be additional victims and encourages anyone with information regarding this investigation to contact Colorado River Station Master Investigator Morelock or Investigator Pfholman at (760) 921-7900.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any new developments.

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Athena Jreij

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – “These signs are there for safety. They should be seen,” says Becky Nelson, a Sun City Palm Desert resident.

Nelson is raising concerns about faded and worn traffic signs along the Interstate 10 Washington Street exit, after reaching out to city and county authorities with little success.

Nelson says the reflective paint on some signs has faded, defeating the signal’s original purpose of restricting u-turns.

“People make illegal turns and we don’t want anyone hurt. We certainly don’t want any fatalities. There are a lot of cars, trucks, RVs, even a big-rig in the years that I’ve been living here making u-turns.”

It’s a fight her community has taken on since before the pandemic, after getting several other signals changed like a no turn on red sign coming off the eastbound exit.

“It’s a terrible turn. Cars coming out and people rushing over the bridge to beat the yellow light,” she said.

After reaching out to the city, Riverside County, CHP, Caltrans and others with little success, Nelson contacted News Channel 3.

That’s when we got to work contacting local authorities who all pointed towards the intersection being under Caltrans’ jurisdiction.

While Caltrans didn’t confirm, they did say a maintenance crew would be heading towards the area to assess.

A representative said drivers can submit customer service requests for Caltrans infrastructure at https://csr.dot.ca.gov/.

Stay tuned as KESQ continues to follow this story and get results.

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Jesus Reyes

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – A teacher at Cathedral City Elementary School accused of sexually abusing several students has been ordered to stand trial on several charges, authorities announced Thursday.

Brian Ruben Marquez, 67, was charged last month with seven counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 years. County court records show Marquez pleaded not guilty to all charges on June 9.

The case dates back to May 28, 2025, when police received a report from a parent alleging that a Cathedral City Elementary School teacher, Marquez, had inappropriately touched their young child. Police said detectives immediately initiated an investigation, which revealed four additional student victims.

Marquez was arrested just a day short of a year since that first report. On Thursday, he appeared at his preliminary hearing and was ordered to stand trial on the charges.

He is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 26 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Marquez remains in custody at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on $250,000 bail.

Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Cathedral City Police Detective Paz at (760) 0383/ npaz@cathedralcity.gov or Detective Sergeant Barnett at (760) 770-0381 or via the Cathedral City Police Department website at: cathedralcity.gov/departments/police-department; 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.

Following the arrest of Marquez, a message was sent to all Cathedral City Elementary parents, saying in part, “We received notice earlier today that a CCE staff member who has been on administrative leave since May of 2025 has been arrested on multiple criminal charges related to inappropriate behavior with students.” The message continues, “As soon as school and district officials were made aware of these allegations last year, Brian Marquez was placed on administrative leave and reports were filed with law enforcement and child protective services officials. We have been working closely with these agencies during this extensive investigation.”

The message to parents lastly says, “The safety of our students is the number one priority at CCE and PSUSD, and we have zero tolerance for any behavior that jeopardizes that safety and trust. Thank you for your continued support and understanding.”

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates on this case.

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KESQ News Team

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ)— A powerful monsoon storm swept through parts of the Calexico region Wednesday, bringing a haboob that sweep through the eastern Coachella Valley.

While the valley avoided major impacts from the storm, the weather served as a reminder that monsoon storms can develop quickly and bring dangerous conditions.

Imperial Irrigation District said about 5,000 customers remained without power across parts of Imperial County following the storm. More than 60 transmission and distribution lines were knocked down in the Calexico area.

The utility said preparation begins before severe weather arrives.

IID recommends residents prepare for possible outages by keeping drinking water, flashlights and extra batteries on hand.

The utility also urges people to stay away from downed power lines and assume they are energized.

With monsoon season continuing, officials say residents should monitor weather forecasts and alerts and be ready to act when storms develop.

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City News Service

INDIO (CNS) – A 20-year-old man accused of gunning down an Indio grocery store customer during an altercation that spilled out of the supermarket and into the parking lot must stand trial for first-degree murder and other charges, a judge ruled today.

Gideon Gonzalez Jr. was arrested immediately after the alleged attack last year that claimed the life of 26-year-old Lorenzo Segoviano outside the Food-4-Less in the 82100 block of Highway 111.

Following a preliminary hearing at the Larson Justice Center Thursday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Charles Rogers found there was sufficient evidence to bound Gonzalez over for trial on the murder count, as well as three counts of firearm assault and two counts of child endangerment, with sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Aug. 27 at the Indio courthouse. Gonzalez is free on a $250,000 bond.

He was originally held in lieu of $1 million. The bail reduction, irregular in a murder case, was approved by Superior Court Judge Dean Benjamini at the end of last year based on a defense motion.

According to the Indio Police Department, patrol officers were sent to the supermarket at 5:40 p.m. on Feb. 1, 2025, to investigate reports of a shooting. They found Segoviano mortally wounded. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

A description of the alleged shooter was obtained, and officers located the man — later identified as Gonzalez — within five minutes a short distance away.

Investigators said that the confrontation between the defendant and victim began in the store for unspecified reasons, leading to a fight in the parking lot.

Gonzalez pulled a handgun and opened fire, shooting the victim at close range, police alleged.No other details were provided, and the child cruelty and firearm assault counts were not explained at the time but may have stemmed from the presence of other people in the store.

The defendant has no documented prior felony convictions in adult court.

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Kiera McKinney

PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. (KESQ)- If a major earthquake, wildfire or other disaster hits the Coachella Valley, first responders could be overwhelmed. Palm Springs Fire is offering free CERT training to teach residents basic skills like fire safety, search and rescue and basic medical care.

2026–2027 Palm Springs CERT training dates

October 16-18, 2026

January 22-24, 2027

March 5-7, 2027

Times:

Friday: 5-9 P

Saturday: 8 AM-5 PM

Sunday: 8 AM-5 PM

The training is free and limited to the first 40 people per class

Fire Chief Alvarado from Palm Springs Fire says, “We quickly become overwhelmed by first responders. We’re going to try to triage how we can help the most people with the resources we have.”

Emergency Manager Daniel DeSelms says, “People might be on their own for that first 24 hours. We really want to encourage people to be able to help themselves and help their neighbors when a disaster strikes, because it actually eases the burden on police, fire, and other resources.”

For more resources and how to sign up for CERT courses, visit the city’s website.

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Garrett Hottle

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) A 59-year-old Palm Springs woman who once ran the Southern Poverty Law Center’s hate group tracking project was arrested Wednesday on federal fraud and money laundering charges.

Heidi Beirich is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to submit false statements to a federally insured bank and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama. A federal grand jury in Montgomery returned the indictment Tuesday. It was unsealed Wednesday.

Beirich was served with an arrest warrant Wednesday morning in California and was expected to appear in federal court in the afternoon.

The indictment adds her to the government’s existing case against the SPLC, which was charged in April with wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. Prosecutors allege more than $4 million in donated money was secretly funneled to individuals tied to violent extremist groups between 2007 and 2023. The scheme used financial accounts tied to fictitious entities to hide who controlled the money, prosecutors say.

CNN reports Beirich oversaw payments of donor money to people inside those hate groups, including an Imperial Wizard in the Ku Klux Klan. She allegedly shared a bank account with one of the sources, a person who infiltrated a white supremacist group and allegedly had a romantic relationship with her, according to CNN’s reporting on the indictment. Prosecutors say the SPLC paid the source more than $1 million since 2007, with $140,000 landing in the shared account, money Beirich allegedly used for their living expenses.

“I believe she was part of the effort to open bank accounts in completely fictitious companies’ names and make payments to individuals for reasons that were not accurate as described,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said Wednesday.

“The indictment unsealed today reflects the continued work of federal investigators and prosecutors in examining this alleged scheme,” U.S. Attorney Thomas Govan said. “We look forward to presenting the evidence in court and allowing the judicial process to determine the facts and the defendants’ responsibility for the alleged crimes.”

The FBI is investigating the case.

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Dakota Makinen

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – Nearly 60% of jobs projected through 2030 won’t require a bachelor’s degree, according to a CommercialCafe study.

The study found 40% of the Riverside area’s workforce is employed in mid-skill jobs.

Those jobs can include careers that require specialized training, certifications or some college — rather than a four-year degree.

News Channel 3 spoke with a variety of instructors at College of the Desert this morning about the different career paths students can pursue.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the latest updates.

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City News Service

PALM SPRINGS (KESQ) – The challenges, habits and potential perils impacting wildlife moving through native turf around Highway 62 north of Palm Springs will be closely observed during an upcoming campaign intended to help them, it was announced today.

Wildlands Network, a Salt Lake City-based nonprofit, will be partnering with others, including the Rice, Washington-based Rogue Detection Teams and the Joshua Tree-based Mojave Desert Land Trust, to initiate a study in September that will entail setting up temporary observation posts along Highway 62.

The research will continue into next year.

Mountain lions, bighorn sheep and bobcats will be watched to identify prospective benefits of several planned wildlife crossings intersecting the two-lane corridor, according to Wildlands Network biologist Christina Aiello.

“Mountain lions are considered the most at-risk species in the project and are listed as threatened in California,” Aiello said.

She said researchers don’t yet have a reliable estimate of the area’s lion population.

“We don’t know how many there are, but we must find out to ease concerns about isolation and inbreeding,” Aiello said.

Researchers will survey areas that include the Sand to Snow National Monument, Joshua Tree National Park, Mission Creek Preserve and other protected areas in the Morongo and Coachella valleys, according to Wildlands Network.

The research will examine how Highway 62 affects animal movement, aiding researchers in designing crossings.

“The crossing project is a long-term process,” Aiello said. “We will be building structures and fencing to reduce deaths and give animals a safe way to cross the road.”

The objective is for construction to begin within the next three years.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust received grant funding from the Sacramento-based Wildlife Conservation Board and the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy to initiate the crossings.

The Coachella Valley Conservation Commission is also assisting, while the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is helping secure authorizations to work on public lands, according to Aiello.

Field biologists will work with trained rescue dogs to locate mountain lion and bobcat scat, while other researchers will collect bighorn sheep scat, according to Wildlands Network. Samples will be sent to laboratories for DNA testing to help identify individual animals and study their movement across the highway, the nonprofit said.

While bighorn sheep are state-protected, they are not currently threatened or endangered under federal law, according to Aiello.

“They suffered a sharp decline in the early 1900s but have since been recovering. Our research will monitor them to help prevent another decline,” Aiello said, adding that bobcats are also not a designated threatened species.

“Researchers want to better understand how often bobcats cross roads and how roadway deaths can be reduced,” Aiello said.

Volunteer opportunities for this effort are expected to become available early next year, though locations and other details have not been finalized.

Volunteers are expected to have the chance to document wildlife deaths on roads and collect data on animal populations.

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