Author: KESQ

Jesus Reyes

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A mother and her son were charged in connection with the death of a 24-year-old Indio woman who was found last week near the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission campus.

Mario Morales Jr., 25, of Coachella, faces multiple charges, including murder, for the death of his girlfriend, Alexis Cano. He pleaded not guilty to all charges Tuesday afternoon.

Mario’s mother, Juana Hernandez De Morales, 55, of Coachella, was charged with accessory in aiding in an escape. She pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Both are scheduled to return to court on July 11.

Cano was found dead with a gunshot wound after deputies conducted a welfare check at around 9:40 a.m. Thursday at a home on the 84000 block of Manila Avenue in the unincorporated area of Coachella, according to court documents.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said the incident stemmed from a domestic disturbance.

According to court documents, Mario allegedly told his family about the murder at around 3 a.m. He asked his mother, Juana, to take him to Mexico. Mario was dropped off at a friend’s ranch in Mexico, but Juana was stopped at the border coming back into the United States.

Investigators questioned Juana, who allegedly admitted to knowledge of the murder and dropping off her son in Mexico.

Mario was located by Mexican authorities at the ranch. He was taken to the Calexico Port of Entry on Friday, where RSO deputies took him into custody.

Mario Morales was being held on $5 million bail at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio. Juana De Morales was being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on $1 million bail.

The investigation remains active. Anyone with additional information is asked to call Master Investigator D. Hernandez or Investigator G. Gonzalez at 951–955–2777.

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

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Gavin Nguyen

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Leaders in the Coachella Valley met Tuesday to discuss how policy changes could affect immigrant communities.

Representatives from UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, hosted the discussion on Tuesday at the Mizell Center in Palm Springs. Several different organizations, ranging from healthcare companies to local advocacy groups attended the roundtable.

With President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” passing in the Senate, which includes potential cuts to Medicaid amounting to $1 trillion, the organization said “local community leaders and UnidosUS state leads will share timely insights and data on how this bill will impact families in Riverside County and across California.”

The new version of the bill will make its way back to the House of Representatives. If passed, those cuts could leave 80 million Americans’ healthcare coverage in jeopardy, according to Dr. Ilan Shapiro, Chief Health Correspondent at AltaMed.

Dr. Shapiro attended Tuesday’s discussion, and said of the cuts, “A lot of people ask me, ‘Why would I care if I’m not carrying Medicaid in my life?’ The reality is that 80 million people around the country actually have it. That means that someone close to us actually depends on it.”

Of that figure, 3.4 million Californians could lose their access to the program.

The discussion also comes after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a state budget last week that included rolling back undocumented immigrants’ access to Medi-Cal. The state is no longer accepting new undocumented enrollees.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the latest.

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Kendall Flynn

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Californians will now pay more for legal cannabis products after a new state excise tax took effect July 1. The 19% tax represents a 4% increase from the previous 15% rate.

Double Eye Dispensary in Cathedral City said it has been preparing customers for the tax increase, by letting them know after every purchase – leading up to the start date – that their purchases would cost more in July.

While the dispensary said the tax doesn’t impact them directly, they are concerned for the consumer. Many of their customers are on fixed incomes and use the dispensary for medicinal purposes. They now worry those customers won’t be able to afford their products or will go to unlicensed sellers.

Kevin Lopez, with the Double Eye Dispensary, said buying marijuana from unlicensed sellers can be dangerous because it is not a tested product. The customer no longer knows if the cannabis is safe from pesticides or other harmful chemicals.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from Double Eye Dispensary and customers on how this could impact their wallets or ability to purchase.

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KESQ News Team

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A Riverside County Civil Grand Jury investigation has revealed serious oversight failures in Palm Springs.

It’s from a $700 thousand grant awarded to Queer Works by the City of Palm Springs.

The Riverside District Attorney requested the investigation following the indictment of Queer Works CEO Jacob Rostovsky in October 2024 on 53 felony counts in a fraud scheme involving a Universal Basic Income Pilot Program.

The Grand Jury’s report found that the city failed to enforce key terms of its agreement with Queer Works, such as requiring monthly progress reports and financial updates.

Jury members found that city staff lacked fraud training, and that councilmembers relied heavily on Desert Aids Project’s endorsement of Queer Works without proper vetting of the non-profit.

The Grand Jury issued ten recommendations, including stricter grant monitoring, mandatory fraud training, and regular independent audits.

The city has already updated some policies, but the report urges full implementation of the recommendations by the end of 2025.

The investigation also found inconsistencies in Queer Works’ financial records and concluded the city received no tangible results for its investment.

News Channel 3 has reached out to both the District Attorney and the city of Palm Springs for comment and will continue to follow this story.

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John White

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Local 41st District Rep. Ken Calvert (R) is hoping President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill will be passed in the Senate and House this week advancing the President’s agenda. 

The bill includes an extension of the President’s first term tax cuts along with cuts in Medicaid spending to offset some of the costs. The current version would also extend the nation’s debt limit by $5 trillion.

Calvert sat down with News Channel 3’s John White for a wide-ranging interview including his defense of those cuts. 

“Medicaid is fine.  We’re not doing anything to Medicaid other than people that are able bodied, men and women under the age of 65 that are in good health with no children, have 20 hour a week work requirement or 20 hours of volunteer work. That’s not too much to ask to get Medicaid insurance on your behalf.” 

You can see more of the interview here:

The interview also covered Calvert’s positions on immigration enforcement, foreign policy, tariffs, and his plans to run for re-election next year. 

You can see our full report, “Questions Answered, In-Depth with Representative Ken Calvert” next Tuesday night, July 8th, on News Channel 3 at 6:00 p.m. 

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Shay Lawson

CORRECTION: We previously reported that the event at the Mizell Center was scheduled for Sunday. The correct date is Monday. It is a third party renting space for a private event, not a Mizell-sponsored event.

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ)  – After weeks of ICE activity across the Coachella Valley, including in Cathedral City, Mayor Nancy Ross is now speaking out.

At last week’s city council meeting, she said her friend had been taken by ICE agents.

On Monday, Ross sat down with News Channel 3’s Shay Lawson to share what happened and why she’s raising her voice now.

“He was pulled over on Ramon and an officer approached his vehicle,” Ross said. “When the officers come to you, they’re fully masked. They don’t wear a name badge and they will not have communication with you.”

She said agents then took him to the airport and flew him to Mexico.

“They took their wallets, so they had no ID,” Ross said. “They took their telephones, and they kind of pushed them off the plane.”

Eventually she said her friend retained his phone and called her.

“We have not been in touch since that one phone call,” Ross said.

Now, she said she’s searching for answers for her community.

“This will remain my top priority until we get some answers to where are our people?” Ross said. “It’s also my responsibility to share some of the privileges I got in life. And if I could offer some of those in any little way to somebody else, count me in.”

News Channel 3 has reached out to ICE for a comment on this situation, and are waiting to hear back.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the full report at 10 and 11 p.m.

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City News Service

BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – Jury deliberations got underway today in the trial of a 43-year-old Banning man accused of raping two women on separate occasions while they were intoxicated, as well as molesting a 12-year-old girl.

Steven Roy McElroy was arrested in 2022 following a Banning Police Department investigation that relied on statements from alleged victims going back a decade. McElroy is charged with two counts each of forcible rape and aggravated assault, as well as one count of lewd acts on a minor.

The prosecution and defense delivered closing arguments at the Banning Justice Center Monday morning, after which Riverside County Superior Court Judge Mark Singerton sent jurors behind closed doors to begin weighing evidence from the two-week trial.

McElroy is free on a $1 million bond.

The defendant was charged for the alleged assault on the 12-year-old girl, identified in court documents in March 2022. Detectives received information afterward concerning two women who alleged they had been sexually assaulted by him on different occasions in 2015 and 2016.

According to Detective Jack Loera, the two women heard about the child molestation charge and decided to speak to police.     

McElroy has a felony conviction in another jurisdiction that wasn’t listed in court records.

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Spencer Blum

Last week, we learned about the National Weather Service and how the meteorologists there work day and night to keep Americans safe across every inch of the country.

First Alert Meteorologist Spencer Blum is taking an in-depth look at how recent government staffing cuts and proposed budget cuts could impact the agency monitoring the land, the seas, and the skies.

Watch part 2 of the special report.

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Haley Meberg

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ)- A Desert Hot Springs man was arrested in connection to the hit and run crash resulting in injuries of a bicyclist Sunday. 

At approximately 2:45 p.m., Cathedral City Police Dispatch received multiple emergency calls reporting a vehicle hitting a bicyclist along Date Palm and Perez Road.

Police said the 30-year-old victim was heading northbound in the designated bike lane when he was struck from behind by the 23-year-old suspect. 

Officers arrived at the scene soon after where the vehicle had been stopped to find the suspect had taken off on foot. 

The victim had sustained multiple injuries and was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center where he is currently in stable conditions. 

The suspect was found walking down the street one mile away from scene. Police said he provided a statement to the officers and was arrested and booked into the John Benoit Detention Center and is facing charges of felony hit-and-run resulting in injury. 

No official charges have been made at this time. The Cathedral City Traffic Bureau is asking that anyone with additional information about this incident contact Traffic Sergeant Daniel Anes at (760) 202-2476 or the Cathedral City Police Department at tips@cathedralcity.gov. 

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

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Tori King

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — The Fourth of July is just days away, and local fire official are warning desert residents about the dangers of illegal fireworks here in the Coachella Valley.

“This weekend, we had over a dozen fires in Southern California,” Said Palm Springs Fire Chief Paul Alvarado. “We had so many brush fires because the weather is hot, the grass and the brush out there is dry, and it’s ready for a fire. So any little spark can cause a wildfire.”

Cathedral City Fire Department is also trying to raise awareness. This year, the department teamed up with the city to pay for signage, warning residents about the fireworks laws, and the consequences of breaking them.

“It’s al about public awareness, right,” said CCFD Chief Michael Contreras. “Do some people just not know that they’re illegal in Cathedral City? Well, let’s tell them. That’s our primary goal, is to tell people they’re illegal and to not use them. And then the the second piece is to try to get as much exposure as possible. So this year, we made a conscious effort with the council’s approval that we’re going to put them on all our vehicles, and all over town.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association, fireworks are responsible for thousands of incidents every year. The NFPA reports around 18,500 fires caused by fireworks on average annually, causing an estimated $43,000,000 in damages.

Not only are they dangerous, they can be deadly. Despite the annual warnings, thousands of people were injured in fireworks-related accidents here in the U.S. in 2024. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, around 14,700 people were sent to Emergency Rooms and treated for fireworks-related injuries or burns across the country last year.

“People that think that it’s okay to break the law, and light fireworks and put the community at risk, they’re wrong,” said Alvarado. “In the city of Palm Springs, we don’t stand for that.”

During that same time period, eleven people died from fireworks-related accidents. That’s why both departments are on standby for the holiday.

“Every fire department in Southern California is doing the same thing I’m doing,” said Alvarado. “We’re trying to help out our mutual aid partners with brush fires in Southern California, but we also have to make sure the city is safe, so we’re working on that today to make sure we have plenty of firefighters on standby on the fourth.”

“We get double the amount of calls every fourth,” said Contreras. “It could be something from a spark or a larger firework. It could be the big mortar type fireworks, you know, Roman candles and things like that. And so really, the day, as the day progresses, it gets worse with the amount of calls, and usually about midnight or one o’clock is where it peaks. And then we just, we deal with whatever comes our way, whether it be a fire, an injury, a DUI crash. We just want people to be safe, but we are ready no matter what happens.”

Riverside County Fire, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, and the county Code Enforcement Department will be actively pursuing individuals who light fireworks without a permit.

During last year’s enforcement, nearly 300 citations were issued, while 10 people were arrested, and over 400 pounds of illegal fireworks were confiscated.

Under local ordinance, California-approved “safe and sane” fireworks such as sparklers and fountains are permitted only within the city limits of Blythe, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, and Indio. They are not permitted in other local cities.

News Channel 3’s Tori King is speaking with PSFD about safety tips this 4th of July, stay tuned for her coverage at 4, 5, and 6 p.m.

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