Author: KESQ

Jesus Reyes

CABAZON, Calif. (KESQ) –  An acre-wide fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon on a mountainside near Cabazon was likely the result of arson.

The Elm Fire was first reported at around 3:00 p.m. in the area of Adele Avenue and Elm Street.

Riverside County Fire Department officials said multiple engine crews and a Cal Fire helicopter crew were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a slow rate on the edge of the San Bernardino National Forest.   

No structures were threatened.   

Sheriff’s deputies were summoned because witnesses reported seeing an unidentified man igniting the fire, according to the sheriff’s department.   

Firefighters contained the blaze by 4 p.m.   

A sheriff’s STAR-9 patrol helicopter was requested to help search for the suspect. That effort was underway late Wednesday afternoon.

Stay with News Channel 3 for updates.

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City News Service

BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – The defense is slated to rest Thursday, setting the stage for closing arguments, in the trial of a real estate developer accused of enriching the one-time mayor of Palm Springs with six-figure bribes to cinch his support for downtown projects.

Testimony in the trial of 86-year-old John Elroy Wessman got underway two weeks ago at the Banning Justice Center. The prosecution rested Tuesday, after which the defense opened its case, which was expected to conclude on Thursday. Closing statements will start immediately after.

Wessman is charged with nine counts of bribery of a public official and one count of conspiracy to commit a felony.

“The law is very clear: You have to follow the rules,” Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Amy Zois told jurors in her opening statement last month.

Zois characterized the business relationship with former Mayor Steve Pougnet as one of backroom deals intended to do one thing — benefit Wessman and his ventures.

The prosecutor said the defendant and fellow developer Richard Hugh Meaney, 59, conspired to favor Pougnet with high-dollar rewards for gaining the mayor’s support for the men’s redevelopment projects between 2012 and 2014.   

“These men cared about money, property and control,” Zois told jurors.   

She said Pougnet’s $3,605-a-month salary during his two terms was “peanuts” compared to the hefty cash infusions into his bank account facilitated by the two developers.

Zois argued it was Wessman’s influence that landed Pougnet work on the Palm Springs International Film Festival, for which he received $150,000 in 2012. The festival board chairman ended the mayor’s consultancy when it didn’t net the kind of results the board had wanted.

Zois alleged the developers provided $225,000 in illicit payoffs to the mayor, all to ensure his active support for the downtown renaissance projects, which records allege included construction of The Dakota, the Desert Fashion Plaza, The Morrison and Vivante.

Pougnet reached a plea agreement directly with the court last month, admitting nine counts of bribery by a public official, eight counts of illicit financial interest in public contracts and one count of conspiracy, as well as no contest to three perjury counts.

Superior Court Judge Samuel Diaz scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 2.   

All the felony charges against Meaney were dismissed over a year ago. However, he pleaded guilty to a reinstated misdemeanor count of financial conflict in a government contract. Like Wessman, Meaney is free on his own recognizance. He’s due for sentencing Monday.  

Both the ex-mayor and Meaney are expected to receive terms of probation.   

“There is very little evidence against Mr. Wessman,” defense attorney David Greenberg told jurors in his opening statement. “The payments were legit, the testimony against my client are not reliable, and there’s no proof of specific intent to corrupt the mayor.”

The attorney detailed how his client took appropriate steps and remained within the bounds of the law to get his projects approved by the Palm Springs City Council.

Greenberg underscored how Wessman relied on creative financing to contend with impacts of the Great Recession that started in 2008, seeking what amounted to a “public-private partnership” between Wessman Development Inc. and the city to move forward with redevelopment.   

The efforts led to Measure J being put before voters citywide in 2011. It passed, resulting in $43 million in municipal bonds going to the developer’s projects, which began in earnest in the winter of 2012, the defense said.

Greenberg leveled blame at Meaney for any improprieties connected to cash for Pougnet. The attorney insisted that his client always considered his dealings with the mayor and council above-board.  

Pougnet, Wessman and Meaney were criminally charged for the first time in 2017 and later indicted by a grand jury.  

The case began as a federal corruption probe until it was turned over to county investigators in 2016.

A trial judge in December 2020 dismissed all counts against Wessman, characterizing them as baseless, but the charges were reinstated by the Fourth District Court of Appeals in Riverside less than two years later.   

Pougnet was in office from 2007 to 2015.   

Payments to him were drawn directly from accounts maintained by Meaney’s Union Abbey Co. and Wessman Development Inc., according to the prosecution.

A prosecutor told the grand jury in 2019 that Pougnet planned to moveto Colorado to join his husband and two children when his first term ended in 2011, but the two developers put him “on their payroll” in order to gain him votes of confidence in their projects.

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Celeste Springer

WASHINGTON (KRDO) — A judge has issued an order blocking the deportation of Mohamed Soliman’s family, according to reporting by our partners at 9News in Denver. Soliman is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at peaceful demonstrators who were calling attention to Israeli hostages over the weekend.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials say he was living in the country illegally after his work permit expired in March. Officials confirmed earlier this week that he lived in El Paso County with his wife and five kids. Secretary Kristi Noem said his family was being processed for removal, all of whom are Egyptian citizens.

“This terrorist will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it,” said Secretary Noem in a release.

On Monday, officials said in a press conference that they believe Soliman acted alone, but they are actively pursuing any leads that come their way. Anyone with tips or information is encouraged to click here to submit tips.

Due to the wide breadth of damage allegedly inflicted by Soliman, Michael Dougherty the 20th Judicial District Attorney for Boulder County, explained on Monday that he had filed for the following charges:

8 counts of Attempted First Degree Murder (With Intent and After Deliberation)

8 counts of Attempted First Degree Murder (Extreme Indifference)

2 counts of Use of an Incendiary Device

16 counts of Attempted Use of an Incendiary Device

More charges are likely to come to light as Dougherty announced on Wednesday that the victim count had risen to 15.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Riverside County prosecutors will decide in the coming weeks whether to retry a convicted felon accused of second-degree murder for directly conspiring with a friend to burglarize a Desert Hot Springs house, where the friend was fatally shot by an occupant.

After two days of deliberations, a Riverside jury announced Monday that a unanimous decision on the murder charge against 24-year-old Nathan Alger of Desert Hot Springs was unattainable, prompting Superior Court Judge Tim Hollenhorst to declare a mistrial on that count.

Jurors, however, convicted Alger of firearm assault, shooting at an inhabited dwelling and sentence-enhancing allegations of abetting a first-degree burglary and using a gun during the commission of a felony. They acquitted him of attempted murder.

Hollenhorst scheduled a status conference for Aug. 15 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office is expected to confirm then whether it intends to go ahead with retrying the murder count, or move ahead with sentencing on the convictions.

Alger is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.   

Although it has been legislatively modified in recent years, California’s felony murder rule permits filing homicide charges against a conspirator under certain circumstances when the person’s accomplice is killed by someone else during a crime.

According to a trial brief filed by the DA’s Office, on the night of Nov. 18, 2020, Alger and a man identified in court documents as “Presley B.” planned and carried out a break-in at an acquaintance’s home in the 13700 block of Hacienda Heights Drive.

The homeowner, identified only as “Mr. J,” purportedly owed Presley some money, and the latter enlisted Alger’s assistance in going to collect — at a time when they knew Mr. J would not be at the single-story residence, the brief said.

The defendants were unaware that a man renting a bedroom in the house, identified in documents only as “R.R.,” was inside at the time, playing video games.

After Presley and Alger kicked open the front door, they went directly into Mr. J’s room to search for money and valuables, the defendant later admitted to Desert Hot Springs Police Department detectives.

R.R. heard the door being forcibly opened and immediately turned off his game panel and bedroom lights, then listened as the conspirators spoke to one another while walking through the house, according to the brief.   

R.R. told police that he armed himself with his Beretta semiautomatic pistol and cautiously exited his room. He went to the owner’s room and spotted two masked men — Alger and Presley — rummaging through drawers. Presley was closer to the doorway and whirled around, pointing a semiautomatic handgun, when R.R. asked what the pair were doing, court papers stated.

“R.R. feared for his life and fired two rounds at Presley,” the narrative said. “R.R. felt it was him or Presley, and he did not want to die.”  

The victim retreated to his bedroom after firing at the intruders. He told detectives that he heard the men making their way back to the front door. While still armed with his Beretta, he went to see whether the pair had exited the property.

“He saw Presley near the front door, and he turned toward R.R., with the same firearm pointing at him again,” the document said. “R.R. fired one additional round, striking Presley, who fell to the floor.”

The burglar managed to crawl out onto the lawn. Alger went to the getaway car and retrieved a pump shotgun. The defendant later admitted firing the weapon twice toward the house in an attempt to scare R.R. and give him time to aid Presley. However, Alger was unable to drag the unconscious man to the car. An autopsy later determined Presley was shot twice in the chest and suffered a superficial wound to his back. He died at the scene.   

R.R. was not hurt. He was detained for questioning, but after detectives pieced together exactly what had transpired, he was released from custody the same day.

Alger went to two friends to assist him after the deadly break-in, and one of them, identified in documents only as “B.L.,” went to police the following day and informed investigators regarding what he knew. B.L. had rented space at his residence to Presley, and the property had a security surveillance system with video and audio capability. The brief said before the burglars left for Mr. J’s home, they had been recorded discussing their plans. B.L. turned that tape over to detectives.

Alger was arrested without incident several days later. Court documents show he had a prior conviction for burglary.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Surveillance video shows the moment a bomb exploded, damaging a Palm Springs fertility clinic.

On Wednesday, federal officials announced an arrest was made in connection with the bombing. Daniel Park, 32, of Kent, Washington, was arrested Tuesday night at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, according to U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles Bill Essayli. He was charged Wednesday with providing and attempting to provide material support to a terrorist, Essayli said.

Latest Details: Washington state man arrested for allegedly aiding Palm Springs fertility clinic bomber

According to Essayli, Park shipped about 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate — which is “commonly used to construct homemade bombs” — to clinic bomber Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, and also arranged for another shipment of an additional 90 pounds.

“During the investigation (of the boming), law enforcement learned of Bartkus’ pro-mortalist … and anti-pro-life extremist ideology,” Essayli said. “We also learned that the bomber had help.”

He said Park “shared Bartkus’ extremist beliefs” and visited Bartkus’s home in Twentynine Palms for about two weeks in late January and early February, “spending time together running experiments in Bartkus’ garage, where the FBI recovered large quantities of chemical precursors and laboratory equipment after the bombing.” 

Three days before Park arrived at Bartkus’ house, records from an AI chat app show that Bartkus researched how to make powerful explosions using ammonium nitrate and fuel, federal prosecutors said.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge in Los Angeles Akil Davis said Parkwas also in possession of an “explosive recipe” similar to the device used in the deadly 1995 Oklahoma City federal building bombing.

The fertility clinic was largely destroyed by the car bomb that went off shortly before 11 a.m. May 17. Bartkus was killed in the blast. His alleged online manifesto espouses disdain for families and childbirth in general.   

Embryos and other lab-preserved endowments are maintained at the clinic, which sustained extensive damage, but clinic officials said none of those materials were destroyed in the blast.

Other buildings in the vicinity suffered damage from the explosion, such as broken windows and structural damage. Essayli noted the blast caused a debris field of about 250 yards. 40 other properties were damaged, with at least 8 buildings deemed unsafe to occupy. The bombing caused approximately $12 million in damages. 

Four people were hurt, but none severely.   

The explosion was called the “largest bombing scene that we’ve had in Southern California” by FBI officials.   

Bartkus tried to livestream the explosion, but his attempt failed, according to the FBI.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

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Jesus Reyes

IDYLLWILD, Calif. (KESQ) – A 3.2 magnitude earthquake struck near Idyllwild Wednesday afternoon, according to USGS.

The earthquake was reported just before 12:30 p.m. It was initially recorded as a M 3.6, but later downgraded to a M 3.2

We received calls from residents who reported feeling some shaking in the Coachella Valley.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Coachella Valley Water District and Desert Water Agency have reached a settlement agreement regarding water rights and water management throughout the Coachella Valley, the tribe announced today.

The agreement stems from two lawsuits against the water districts by Agua Caliente, which argued for ownership of the groundwater stored under the reservation.

All parties involved have agreed to give sovereign authority to Cahuilla Indians over its groundwater, and will jointly cooperate to provide water sustainability for residents living on the reservation through the existing infrastructure, the statement said.

“The agreement affirms the Tribe’s right to manage, regulate and govern the use of the Tribal Water Right in the Coachella Valley, and at the same time will provide a real benefit to the entire Coachella Valley,” Tribal Chairman Reid Milanovich said in a statement.

The next step will be to seek legislation from Congress to approve the settlement and to authorize up to $500 million in federal funding. The funding will ensure sustainability of the Indio Subbasin and would improve several water infrastructures, officials said.

“Desert Water Agency customers can be certain this agreement will not affect our ability to provide safe and reliable water,” DWA Board President Paul Ortega said. “They will continue to receive dedicated customer service and high-quality water. This settlement respects the Tribe’s sovereign rights to help manage and regulate water within a portion of our vast aquifer.”

For more information: https://www.aguacaliente.org/watersettlement

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Athena Jreij

THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) — East Valley animal rescues Support 4 Paws says they’re overwhelmed with abandoned dogs in Thermal, specifically those coming out of Oasis Mobile Home Park.

Kimberly Raney with Support 4 Paws says with the help of Animal Action League, her team has fostered, fixed and found homes for dozens of abandoned dogs and puppies from Oasis Mobile Home Park, but they’re at capacity and urgently need fosters and adopters.

On top of that, Raney says every dog they’ve taken in has a tic-borne illness that in some cases, can lead to death in days.

“Every dog that we have pulled from trailers have tested positive for at least one tic-borne illness that then starts to affect their red blood cells and makes them anemic, makes them very sick. So if caught early enough, we can treat it with doxycycline and they have a good prognosis. But we have been overwhelmed with how many there are. They are everywhere,” Raney said.

Since Oasis is on the Torres Martinez Indian Reservation, county animal control can’t enforce in the area.

Years ago when the park was facing water contamination issues, the county did step in and helped relocate over a hundred families. Rescuers say when those families leave their homes, they’re also leaving behind pets.

Looking for answers, News Channel 3 reached out to Supervisor Manuel Perez, the county, tribal leaders and property management.

Perez was unavailable for an interview but said via email, “Because of the need, Supervisor Perez made it a priority to do spay and neuter clinics in Oasis to make sure the Oasis Mobile Home Park community has help from the county, at no cost to residents, to spay and neuter their pets. It’s a challenging situation and we’ve done a lot as a county to assist Oasis Mobile Home Park.  At this point, what’s needed are homes for pets.”

While tribal leaders didn’t respond, property management said they have been unreachable and have little resources to handle the issue.

An Oasis landlord who didn’t want to go on camera said just days ago, a young girl was bitten by a loose dog.

While answers stall, Support 4 Paws says time is running out for their furry friends.

Dogs like Bo, who was rescued just days ago and died on Wednesday from a tic-borne illness.

It’s why they’re adamant on getting animals into homes, with some volunteers saying they’ll even drive dogs across state lines to adopters.

Local rescues say the issue could take months to even years to resolve, but that they are making progress.

To get in contact with Support 4 Paws, visit: https://support4paws.org/

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Julia Castro

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) —A 32-year-old man has been arrested in connection with last month’s deadly car bombing outside a Palm Springs fertility clinic, federal authorities announced Wednesday.

Daniel Park, of Kent, Washington, was taken into custody late Tuesday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, according to U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles Bill Essayli. He was charged Wednesday with providing and attempting to provide material support to a terrorist, Essayli said.

Daniel Park

He is accused of helping supply the explosive materials used in the May 17 attack on American Reproductive Centers, which federal officials have labeled an act of domestic terrorism.

Park made his initial appearance in federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday. He is set to be extradited to California.

Daniel Park courtroom sketch(Courtesy of Alba Acevedo)

The primary suspect in the bombing, 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus of Twentynine Palms, was found dead at the scene. Authorities say Park and Bartkus shared anti-natalist extremist views — a belief system opposing human reproduction — and that Park had been posting such content online since at least 2016.

Park was arrested as he returned to the United States from Poland, from which he was deported, Essayli said. Park “left the United States to go to Europe” days after the bombing.  

According to Essayli, Park shipped about 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate, which is “commonly used to construct homemade bombs,” from Seattle to Bartkus’ home in Twentynine Palms and also arranged for another shipment of an additional 90 pounds.

Three days before Park arrived at Bartkus’ house, records from an AI chat app show that Bartkus researched how to make powerful explosions using ammonium nitrate and fuel, federal prosecutors said.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge in Los Angeles Akil Davis said Park was also in possession of an “explosive recipe” similar to the device used in the deadly 1995 Oklahoma City federal city bombing.

Essayli said Park “shared Bartkus’ extremist beliefs” and he visited Bartkus’s home in Twentynine Palms for about two weeks in late January and early February, “spending time together running experiments in Bartkus’ garage, where the FBI recovered large quantities of chemical precursors and laboratory equipment after the bombing.”

Two days after the bombing, Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills told News Channel 3’s Peter Daut that authorities were investigating whether someone else may have been involved, stating that he believed other people had knowledge on the plan.

“You mentioned other people who may have been involved? Peter asked Mills.

Mills answered, “This is just my personal opinion, not professional, but yeah, I believe people knew because he was on… in chat rooms. He was on YouTube, he was experimenting with explosives. Other people knew that there were all kinds of views and comments on some of those, on some of those things.”

STATEMENT FROM PALM SPRINGS POLICE DEPARTMENT

The Palm Springs Police Department is aware of an arrest made by the FBI in connection with the May 17 bombing incident. We appreciate the ongoing work of the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force as they continue their investigation. Our department remains fully committed to working with our federal partners. Keeping our community safe is our top priority, and we will continue working closely with the FBI to make sure that happens.

We ask our community members to avoid speculation, as this remains an active investigation. The FBI is leading the case and continues to keep us informed. We will continue to share updates with the public as information becomes available and appropriate to release.

During the explosion, at least five people were injured, and the blast caused major damage to the clinic as well as 40 other properties, with at least 8 buildings deemed unsafe to occupy. The bombing caused approximately $12 million in damages. 

Thousands of embryos and eggs stored inside the facility were saved due to the quick response of emergency crews.

Officials said local law enforcement had not previously flagged either suspect. Evidence recovered from a phone at the scene showed Bartkus pacing outside the car for over 30 minutes before the explosion and speaking into the phone moments before detonation.

The investigation remains ongoing, and federal officials are asking the public to come forward with any information by calling 1-800 CALL FBI.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage on this developing story both on-air and online.

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Allie Anthony

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) — Richard Gauthier was 19 when he was sent to Vietnam to serve in the Army. After he was injured by fragments from a rocket launcher, he received a Purple Heart.

Now 79, Gauthier is a member of American Legion Post 739 in Indio, and he’s working to start a new Purple Heart chapter for members in the Coachella Valley. So far, he has found nearly 25 Purple Heart recipients in the area and is reaching out to them to help launch the local chapter.

The nearest chapter is in San Bernardino, where Gauthier drives once a month to attend meetings. He hopes to start the Coachella Valley chapter to support and uplift other Purple Heart recipients.

 

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