Author: KESQ

Cynthia White

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – Each year, alcohol-related crashes spike during the Fourth of July holiday, making it one of the most dangerous nights of the year to be driving.

In an effort to help prevent impaired driving and reduce crashes this Independence Day holiday, local law firm Walter Clark Legal Group is offering its “Safe Ride Home Program” for free ride reimbursements.

Walter Clark Legal Group founder Walter Clark says, “Our top priority is to save lives and keep our communities safe during high-risk holidays. The Safe Ride Home Program is a small but meaningful way to prevent tragedies caused by impaired driving.”

The Safe Ride Home Program for Independence Day will be in effect from 10:00 p.m. on Friday, July 4th, through 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 5th.

During the effective time of the program, residents and visitors 21 years and older with a valid driver’s license are eligible to get a reimbursement of up to $50 for a single-way ride taken home via Uber, Lyft, or traditional taxi service in the following areas:

Coachella Valley (Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Bermuda Dunes, Indio, Coachella)

El Centro

Victorville

Banning

Beaumont

Yucca Valley

Morongo Basin

Eligible participants must register for a free reimbursement coupon before the holiday. For more information on the program, including rules and registration, visit walterclark.com/holiday. Once registered, participants will be sent instructions on how to submit their request for reimbursement after the holiday.

Reimbursements are available on a first-come, first-served basis while funding lasts.

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Athena Jreij

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) — An 18-year-old man and his dog were rescued by Indio Police after they almost drowned in a canal.

According to the department, the man was attempting to rescue his dog when he fell in.

Officers responded to reports of a possible drowning in a canal near Golf Center Parkway and Avenue 42 when they pulled the unresponsive man from the water. A rescue disc was used to guide the officer and victim to a fixed ladder on the canal wall. Both were safely pulled from the water.

The victim was given chest compressions and regained consciousness. He was then transported to JFK Hospital and is in stable condition.

CalFire responded and rescued the german shepherd, who was alert and uninjured.

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Kendall Flynn

PALM SPRINGS, Calif (KESQ) – Officials with the “Living Out” LGBTQ+ housing community in Palm Springs are taking an extra step to remember Stonewall Day by naming it’s three building wings after prominent members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The wings will be named after Phyllis Lyon and Dell Martin, Connie Norman and Carl Bean. Officials said together the four community members and rights advocates “shaped the landscape of LGBTQ+ activism, leaving a lasting legacy of courage and resilience.”

LuAnn Boylan, the director of marketing and leasing at “Living Out,” said Stonewall Day is important for the LGBTQ community and many residents told News Channel 3, it’s a symbol of freedom.

During the wing-naming ceremony, residents spoke about the community at “Living Out” and what it means to them to join together on Stonewall Day. But they say those who came before them, fought for their rights at the Stonewall uprising and now community members have to continue to fight.

Many residents said they are concerned for the LGBTQ youth, whose rights they say are in jeopardy.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from residents on the importance of Stonewall Day as they say they’re continuing to fight for equal rights and freedom.

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Tori King

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Local doctors are standing up against kickbacks in eye care and demanding more transparency.

They’re inviting the public to attend a “Stand for Ethical Eye Care” event on Saturday that aims to show support for ethical and patient-first care.

They are taking a stand against hidden kickback and commissions, and they’ll also be educating people on how to detect hidden incentives.

The event is from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 28th, at Hotel Paseo in Palm Desert located at 45400 Larkspur Lane.

For more information, visit desertvisioncenter.com/ethics/

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Cynthia White

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – According to America’s blood centers, summer often brings a critical blood shortage as donations typically drop due to school breaks, vacations, and changes in donor routines.

But Friday, viewers helped News Channel 3 change that problem locally.

The News Channel 3 LifeStream blood drive wrapped up at noon, and thanks to your generosity, we collected life-saving blood during this summer slowdown.

Your donation could help save the lives of medical patients, accident victims, and newborn babies.

If you didn’t get a chance to donate blood on Friday, LifeStream will be taking blood donations all summer.

LifeStream Blood Bank reports that 500 blood donations are needed in our local community every day. To set up an appointment to make a blood donation, call 800-879-4484 or visit lstream.org.

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Joel Killam

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) — A 24-year-old woman was found dead in her Indio-area home early Thursday, and authorities say a man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department responded to a possible homicide around 7:02 a.m. in the 84000 block of Manila Avenue, in an unincorporated area near Indio. Inside the residence, they discovered Alexis Cano suffering from traumatic injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators determined the incident stemmed from a domestic disturbance. The suspect, identified as a 25-year-old from Coachella, was arrested Friday without incident. He was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of murder.

A second suspect, a 55-year-old woman, also of Coachella, was arrested yesterday and booked for accessory to murder.

The investigation is ongoing.

Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact Master Investigator D. Hernandez or Investigator G. Gonzalez at 951-955-2777.

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Karen Devine

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – The sentencing was once again rescheduled for a former attorney convicted for his role in the murder of a Palm Springs art dealer.

In 2022, David Replogle, 76, was convicted of murder and multiple other charges following a retrial for the 2008 death and disappearance of 74-year-old Clifford Lambert.

Clifford Lambert

Sentencing hearings have been scheduled multiple times in the three years since the conviction, but it has been pushed back.

On Friday, Judge Anthony Villalobos stated there was no time to hear the motion because it could take too long, as he had a jury trial in the middle of closing arguments set for today.

Asking both attorneys if they could come back later this afternoon, the attorney representing Replogle said no.

Sentencing is now set for July 18.

The case, originally involving six co-conspirators who murdered Lambert for financial gain, has dragged on for 15 years.

All the men have been convicted or made plea deals.

Replogle, once a prominent Bay Area attorney, forged Lambert’s name on official documents, allowing the men to drain bank accounts and take assets.

One of the other co-conspirators in this case, Craig Anthony McCarthy, is also scheduled to be sentenced on Friday. There is no word on whether that will also be rescheduled.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

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City News Service

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – An Aug. 13 trial date was confirmed today for a 24-year-old man accused of publicly exposing himself to multiple young women in La Quinta.

Christopher Duran Jr. of Thermal was arrested in 2020 following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation that was based on a rash ofcomplaints against the defendant, who is charged with three counts each of indecent exposure and attempted indecent exposure, all misdemeanors.

During a status hearing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio Friday, Superior Court Judge Sylwia Luttrell conferred with the prosecution and defense regarding scheduling, and both sides agreed to make preparations for trial in mid-August.

Duran is free on $5,000 bond.   

From February 2022 to May of this year, the defendant was in court- ordered mental health diversion stemming from ongoing doubts about his fitness to stand trial. After completing a behavioral health program, Duran’s case was referred back to regular proceedings for adjudication.

Court documents indicated his alleged offenses occurred between Nov. 22, 2019, and April 30, 2020, during which time he allegedly flashed a half-dozen young women whose identities were not disclosed.  

His May 5, 2020, arrest was the culmination of a monthlong investigation by sheriff’s deputies, who looked into a “series of indecent exposure incidents that were occurring in the area of Avenue 58 and Madison Street,” according to Sgt. David Aldrich.

Deputies located a vehicle belonging to a person believed responsible for the acts and stopped the driver, Duran, detaining him in the same area where the crimes had been reported.

Aldrich said the defendant was “positively identified as the suspect.”   

He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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Haley Meberg

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)- A train burglary in Southern California was stopped by local enforcements saving over $22,000 worth of unreleased Nike sneakers. 

Friday afternoon, it was reported that on Route 66 two men were stopped by Indio Border Patrol agents in their attempts to steal 104 pairs of not-yet-released Nike sneakers. 

The two men have been taken into custody and are facing charges of “theft of interstate or foreign shipments by carrier” and “reentry of removed alien.”

This incident is not the first train burglary seen this past year. In February, almost $2m worth of Nike sneakers were being stolen off trains across California and Arizona. 

Cases with burglary of items like DJ equipment and other cargo have been seen more over the past few months. It is unclear if this incident is related, but this rise in theft leaves local authorities on high alert. 

Stay with News Channel 3 for more updates on this issue. 

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City News Service

BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – A convicted felon accused of killing a 30-year-old Cabazon man whose disappearance remained a mystery until his remains were located more than two years later must stand trial for first-degree murder, a judge ruled today.

Shannon McCloud Collins, 48, of Cabazon was arrested last year following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the 2021 death of Zachary Hemminger.

At the end of a preliminary hearing Friday, Superior Court Judge Ronald Toff found there was sufficient evidence to bound Collins over for trial on the murder count, scheduling a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for July 14 at the Banning Justice Center.

The defendant is being held on $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.  

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Jarred Bishop, Collins allegedly killed Hemminger on April 7, 2021, for reasons still unclear.   

Bishop said detectives were alerted that Hemminger had gone missing, but there was no confirmation of foul play until the investigation had progressed.

When detectives received sufficient information pointing to a homicide, they began developing leads, ultimately identifying the approximate location where the victim’s body had been dumped, the sergeant said. He said that in November 2023, remains were uncovered in the 40000 block of Blanche Avenue in Cabazon that forensic analysis confirmed were those of Hemminger.   

The investigation continued, culminating in an arrest warrant being served on Collins during the morning of June 21, 2024, when he was taken into custody without incident at a residence on Lois Avenue.

How the defendant and victim were acquainted, and the circumstances that led to the alleged attack, were not disclosed.   

Court records show Collins has prior convictions for animal cruelty, auto theft and receiving stolen property.

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