Author: KESQ

Athena Jreij

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Palm Springs Police say travelers from out of the state are ending up homeless in parts of Palm Springs.

In an Instagram post, Chief Andy Mills said earlier this week, “Some jurisdictions and non-profits send people here with little or no support. Some come here for rehab, fail and end up on the street. Last week a man was sent here [with] no support from his home in Montana. Officers sent him home to his family where we hope he gets help. We are working on law to prevent people who fail from ending up homeless on our streets.” 

It’s a trend Lt. Mike Torres says the city’s resources can’t keep up with.

“We do have resources, but they are limited. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough for everybody. The beds are completely full. So we had a total ‘X’ amount of beds that we had accessible to everybody. They’re completely full,” Lt. Torres said.

Torres says there’s a misconception the Coachella Valley has abundant resources for the homeless population, with many seeking mental health, addiction, and shelter beds.

“In the last month, we’ve seen a huge influx of people from out of state, out of the county and it’s been tough on us.”

Those resources are something Phillip Wayman, from Salt Lake City, Utah, has benefit from.

“Actually, services have been very good. I mean, California treats their people a lot better than Utah does. You guys don’t let people just sleep on the streets down here. In Salt Lake they got camp sites. They’re very dirty and filthy,” Wayman said.

The burden of more homeless is falling on shelters and local nonprofits, like Well In The Desert. President Matt Naylor says they’ve fed nearly 500 people this year.

“We are the only ‘911’ service for homeless support when they need emergency food. We give emergency food boxes for those that have one foot in and out of homelessness,” Naylor said.

However, Naylor believes the city’s multi-million dollar budget is to blame for the influx.

“I see the influx of new people coming here, but it wasn’t because of abandonment, it’s because we have a $40 million new center. The city council has actually said, hey, we’re going to be for homeless people and we’re going to create a navigation center. So they’ve actually come here thinking they were going to get services when they’re often turned away,” Naylor says.

It’s raising the question if the city needs more resources and shelter beds to handle the growing population.

“We don’t have the manpower to be able to help everybody. That’s where it gets tough, right? I mean, we’re doing everything we can do with what we have, but we’re doing more with less,” Torres said.

For more information on local homeless resources, visit: Shelter & Housing.

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María García

UPDATE 10/22/2025 – 6:03 AM — All lanes are now open.

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) — A traffic collision early Wednesday morning caused significant delays on the westbound I-10 near Cook Street.

The collision was reported just before 4:30 a.m. in the westbound lanes near Acrisure Arena. All westbound traffic came to a complete stop, while first responders cleared the scene.

As of now, the #3 lane has reopened to traffic, however, cleanup operations remain underway, and significant slowdowns are still expected in the area.

The California Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the crash. No word yet on injuries or the number of vehicles involved.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

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Shay Lawson

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ)  – 14-year-old Liam Cantu remains in critical condition after police say a drunk driver struck him and another boy earlier this month.

Liam Cantu

We first reported the crash last week. Liam’s friend survived with minor injuries.

Since then, Cantu’s parents said he has been in a medically induced coma for 11 days while doctors monitor his recovery.

“His test is tomorrow,” Jesus Cantu, father said. “We’re hoping for a miracle. We’re hoping that over the last 11 days his brain healed the way it’s supposed to, so we can get a sign that he’s there waiting to wake up.”

Jesus said the past several days have been emotional, and he’s urging individuals to stop drunk driving.

“Don’t don’t do it,” Jesus said. “Get an Uber. It’s going to save you a lot of money in fines, save you the time of going through court… and having to hurt families like Jen and I.”

At La Quinta High School friends, family, coaches and teammates gathering on the baseball field to send messages of hope and support.

“It’s amazing to see everybody come here and gather for my son,” Jennifer Perez, mother, said.

If you’d like to support the Cantu’s family and Liam’s recovery, visit: https://www.givesendgo.com/LiftedInAlmightyMercy?openShareModal=true.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage.

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Jesus Reyes

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Indio held its State of the City address Tuesday, revealing what’s in store for the city the next several years.

News Channel 3 anchor Peter Daut hosted the event, which was at Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino, and spoke with Mayor Glenn Miller.

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Jesus Reyes

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – It was the wrong kind of pizza party for a man arrested Tuesday in Desert Hot Springs.

The Desert Hot Springs Police Department said they’ve been investigating a series of thefts, including one case where roughly 80 frozen pizzas were stolen.

The suspect was taken into custody on Tuesday during a traffic stop. Police said they recovered the tools allegedly used during the crimes, along with narcotics.

Courtesy of Desert Hot Springs Police Department

The suspect, whose name was not released, was booked into jail on several charges.

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City News Service

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Cathedral City officials said today that 600 free tickets will be given away to city residents and ACE Club members for singer Robin Thicke’s performance at this year’s International Balloon Festival.

Thicke’s concert will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Community Amphitheater at 68526 Avenue Lalo Guerrero, on the corner of Cathedral Canyon Drive.   

Officials said 600 free tickets will be available for Cathedral City residents on a first-come, first-serve basis and can be picked up starting at 11 a.m. Nov. 3 through Nov. 20 at the ACE Club inside Agua Caliente Casino, at 68960 E. Palm Canyon Drive.

Residents must produce a valid photo ID with a Cathedral City address, must be 21 or older and must be an ACE Club member at the time of pick-up. The giveaway is limited to one ticket per resident.

The 11th annual festival presented by Agua Caliente Casinos on Nov. 21- 23 will feature colorful hot air balloons, a kids zone, a drone light show and live entertainment.

More information can be found at cchotairballoonfest.com.

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City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Frontier Airlines will halt operations at Palm Springs International Airport at the end of next month, citing market demand.   

“We are pausing our service at PSP at the end of next month in response to current market demand, but will continue to monitor conditions for opportunities to resume services. We greatly appreciate our partnership with the airport and the greater Palm Springs community,” a Frontier spokesperson told City News Service.   

“Palm Springs International Airport is not losing any nonstop destinations following Frontier’s decision to cease operations at PSP effective Nov. 29,” a spokesperson at the airport told CNS. “Denver and San Francisco, the two routes Frontier served, remain offered year-round by other carriers: United and Southwest to DEN and United and Alaska to SFO. PSP continues to see record passenger growth, up nearly 5% year-to-date compared to last year, and we remain optimistic about continued strong air service in our market.”  

Last year, Frontier returned to PSP after a temporary pause in services, with nonstop services to Denver and San Francisco airports.

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KESQ-Newsroom

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A Halloween-themed carnival is coming to Indio this weekend!       

The Desert Recreation District is hosting the event at the Indio Community Center this Saturday, Oct. 25 from 1 P.M. to 6 P.M.    

The Indio Community Center is at 45-871 Clinton Street.    

Entry to the event is $5 per person.

There will be carnival games, face painting, a petting zoo, raffles, food vendors, and of course, candy.   

Attendees are also encouraged to wear their costumes for the costume contest.  

 

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Kendall Flynn

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Desert Regional SWAT, also known as the Special Weapons and Tactics Team, is a group comprised of SWAT officers from the Indio, Palm Springs and Cathedral City Police Departments. 

“You never know what happens,” Sergeant Jason Lamb with PSPD said. “It’s good to have a team on standby that can respond to a, quickly escalating threat.” 

Lamb is on the Desert Regional S.W.A.T. team in addition to his usual patrol duties and said he’s enjoyed the camaraderie of the collaborative group. He said they have a joint mission to de-escalate situations and save lives no matter who is involved.

“Our end game is to preserve life,” Lamb said. “So having a S.W.A.T. team where you have the equipment and the people available to take more times in a call, preserve life.”

The team’s focus is to respond and resolve various highly volatile incidents such as hostage situations, active shooter situations, dignitary/site protection and for de-escalating situation. The three departments said working with each other is essential to completing these missions effectively.

S.W.A.T. Commander Erik Longoria, also a lieutenant with the Indio Police Department, said the three stations training together twice a month with nearly 35 personnel involved.

Desert Regional S.W.A.T. was on scene in Indio on Monday for a standoff after a vandalism situation. Palm Springs Police Department said Monday’s situation was a example of the S.W.A.T. team working to de-escalate a situation.

Longoria said the suspect assaulted a detective before the tactical team arrived, making their response time necessary to prevent further assaults. The collaborative team allows departments to use each others resources, including armored cars and protective equipment, which was essential in a case like Monday.

While officers are prepared for any crime, they also ensure they are at large events. Officers said the current political climate also impacts their presence for rallies and parades, as they need to train for specific situations.

“In the event somebody tries to, with everything going on across the nation, tries to attack one of these events, we have specially trained personnel to intervene between, and keep the community safe,” Longoria said.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear the work Desert Regional SWAT does and why it’s necessary for the three departments to come together.

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