Author: KESQ

Shay Lawson

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)  – As some concerns over youth access to guns grow, the Indio Police Department (IPD) and some firearm sellers are stressing the importance of proper storage and responsibility.

From 2013 to 2023, nearly 21,000 children ages 17 and younger died by firearm according to Kaiser Family Foundation a nonprofit organization that serves as a leading source for health policy research.

Indio Officer Felipe Escalante said unsecured guns in the home can be dangerous to children.

“Something that parents could do is properly secure their firearms either by purchasing a gun safe or a gun case that has a lock,” Escalante said.

In California, it is a crime to leave any firearm, loaded or unloaded, where a child under 18 is likely to gain access to it without permission.

Kent Miller, Golden State Armory owner, said any handgun purchased in the state of California is required to come with the California approved either locking box or a cable lock.

“Anybody who leaves the store with a handgun or a rifle, for that matter, is going to know what the legal requirement of storage is,” Miller said. “And how to do that properly and what devices are legal to do that.”

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

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Garrett Hottle

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) According to new court documents obtained by News Channel 3, Jake Haro was caught with a handgun and ammunition in June 2024 while already on felony probation for a prior child cruelty conviction. He pled not guilty that August.

That gun case was serious enough that Haro was already facing the possibility of prison time before prosecutors later charged him and Rebecca Haro with murder in the death of their 7-month-old son, Emmanuel.

But instead of moving forward, the case was delayed four separate times, each at the request of Haro’s defense attorney:

First from October 2024 to December.

Then to April 2025.

Then again to July 2025.

And finally to September 2, 2025.

That hearing has since been vacated and consolidated with the Haros’ murder arraignment set for September 4, meaning multiple cases will now be handled in a single courtroom session.

The takeaway: Haro was already staring at potential prison time before the murder charges but defense continuances kept that case unresolved.

Last week, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin blasted the criminal justice system for what he called a preventable tragedy. Hestrin said Emmanuel’s death could have been avoided if Haro had been sent to prison for his prior child abuse conviction in 2023, instead of receiving probation.

“My prosecutor in the courtroom objected to that and said on the record we object, we think it’s a prison case and you should send him to prison,” Hestrin said. “And the judge decided… that Mr. Haro deserved an extra break and gave him probation and basically 180 days of work release which ends up being like community service.”

Hestrin called that decision “an outrageous error in judgment,” adding: “Mr. Haro should have been in prison at the time that this crime happened. If that judge had done his job as he should have done, Emmanuel would be alive today. And that’s a shame and it’s an outrage.”

KESQ is still pressing for additional records, including the arrest warrant and bail declaration, to learn more about how Haro was caught with the firearm.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Vista Chino will be closed at the Whitewater Wash for maintenance work starting Wednesday morning, Palm Springs officials announced.

The closure will start at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Officials said the shoulder and drainage lanes will be cleared and the sand will be relocated to the south side of the wash.

The road should be re-opened by the afternoon.

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City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Officials announced today that the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will be closed for its annual preventative maintenance, with service scheduled to resume in mid-October.

The tramway will shut down Sept. 8 through Oct. 12, with the last day of operations set for Sept. 7. It is scheduled to reopen at 10 a.m. Oct. 13, according to tramway officials.

“During this year’s shutdown, we will be rebuilding the carriage on cabin one, which supports the cabin as it rides on the track ropes, and replacing the counter haul rope,” Chris Bartsch, vice president of Tramwaysystems, said in a statement. “Our Switzerland-based technicians will be performing annual service to the controls system. Annual state-permit testing will also be conducted.”  

General Manager Nancy Nichols said the closure allows the team to complete complex projects that cannot be performed during normal operations.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Police Department released surveillance video of thieves in action over the weekend at a home.

Thieves were seen on camera stealing a Dolphin Nautalis Pool Vacuum, which is valued at a little over $1,000, police said. One thief climbs over the fence to grab the equipment. A second person can be seen helping get the object over the fence.

Police said the theft happened in the early morning hours on Friday on the 2600 block of Lawrence Crossley Road.

Palm Springs Police is asking the community for help in identifying the thieves.

If you recognize the individuals in the video, contact Detective Doherty at 760 323-8142 or Alexander.Doherty@palmspringsca.gov.

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City News Service

NORTH SHORE, Calif. (KESQ) – A power outage left more than 1,100 Imperial Irrigation District customers without electricity today in the North Shore community.

The outage was reported about 8:53 a.m. in areas from 68th Avenue to Sea Breeze Drive in North Shore and Mecca, according to IID.   

By 11 a.m., power had been restored to 757 customers, while 353 others remained without service. Those customers were expected to be without electricity for at least a few more hours, IID spokesman Bob Schettler said.   

A number of stretch lines were down, and the sudden weather changes caused the outage, Schettler said.

The North Shore Yacht Club will be open until 8 p.m. to serve as a cooling center for those affected, Supervisor Manuel Perez said.

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Kendall Flynn

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Charlie Cooper is a wheelchair tennis professional from La Quinta who was born with spina bifida, which affects his spine and motion. He has quickly become a known name in the junior wheelchair tennis world, and with his success he’s now hitting the major main-draw stage.

In 2024 Cooper won the US Open Junior Wheelchair Championships for boy’s singles and he swept the boy’s singles and doubles at the 2025 Australian Open. His standout junior play at Melbourne Park gave him the wild card chance to play men’s singles.

Even though he’s set to play on a bigger stage, Cooper said he’s trusting his game play.

“I’m keeping everything the same right now,” Cooper said. “Just more tactics for sure It’s all about the technique and how long I could last with the big dogs and never really really getting to see that to test out here.”

US Open men’s singles play begins 11 a.m. EST in Queens, NY. His former local trainer Phillip Blake will be traveling from his gym in Palm Desert to help train him before his matches.

“It’s going to be on tournament grounds so it’s mostly going to be making sure like elbows and shoulders, wrists are warm and ready,” Blake said. “Historically he’s has a little bit of an elbow issue that’s popped up during tournaments, and so I’m going to be bringing a bunch of rehab gear…so he can play at his peak the whole time.”

Cooper and Blake have been working together for over three years, and they both say this is a special experience for both of them as Blake hasn’t seen Cooper play at a tournament of this level.

“Sometimes I work a little too hard or I push my body too much, but you know he’ll tell me when I need to ease off, especially before a tournament,” Cooper said. “He’s older than me, but he’s he’s like my best friend.”

“Being able to travel to New York to help him compete agains the best in the world, for me, personally it’s an absolute honor,” Blake said. “I just don’t have enough good things to say.”

Cooper also started men’s doubles play on Tuesday in the quarterfinals with Conner Stroud. But the pair fell short 6-0, 6-1 against Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid representing the United Kingdom.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from Cooper about his tournament preparations and from his local trainer on what it means to reach this level of play for a junior athlete. 

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Gavin Nguyen

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Thunderstorms and rain brought some flooding to portions of the desert Tuesday morning.

Some residents in Desert Hot Springs told our newsroom they encountered some flooding while dropping off their kids at school.

Some pools and backyards were also flooded.

Tyshon Jones, a lifelong Desert Hot Springs resident, said he encountered some flooded roads on his morning walks. He enjoyed the rainfall, but was irked by some of the storms’ other impacts: “A good surprise. I think I was more surprised at that the power was out. I couldn’t use my cell phone… that was a little bothersome.”

Two power lines went down in Desert Hot Springs, affecting several thousand residents. Utility crews were spotted working to fix the lines. Fire crews were even called to one downed line after a power pole caught fire.

News Channel 3 crews found several intersections flooded throughout Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs early Tuesday.

And in Thousand Palms, strong winds from the storm knocked tree branches down. One resident, Ava Rachelle Wilkerson-Krehan, told News Channel 3 about her morning.f

“The winds were incredible today. I thought, ‘Are we having a hurricane?'” she recalled. “And then I’m like, I just need to go back to sleep. And then I heard the downpour. But then I looked outside.”

“I’m opening the curtains and I’m like, ‘Oh my G.’ There’s a tree out in the middle — our tree.”

Some students in Desert Hot Springs were also pulled out of school early by their parents thanks to the weather.

Khaylah Vasquez, a middle schooler who lives in the city, and her siblings were taken home by their mom. Vasquez said, “Yeah, it was really bad. And I feel like if there was flooding and power outages, it would make it worse for her driving, and lightning this morning makes her scared to drive.”

While this second round of rain has brought some relief from the desert heat, most valley residents aren’t yet ready to give up summer.

“More sunshine. I’m dressed for summer still!” Vasquez said with a smile.

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Jesus Reyes

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – Two people were hospitalized after a rollover crash in an off-road vehicle Monday afternoon in Coachella.

The crash was reported just after 4:45 p.m. near Avenue 58 and Tyler Street.

According to CAL FIRE, one patient sustained major injuries and was transported by air ambulance to a trauma center.

A second patient sustained minor injuries and was transported by ground ambulance.

There were no details available on what led to the crash.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.

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