Author: KESQ

Matthew Pearce

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) — United Youth We Stand and Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice are holding a protest “to honor the lives lost at the hands of ICE” from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. today.

The initial protest was scheduled for Aug. 2 before being postponed to today.

Tonight, News Channel 3 is speaking with protesters to learn more about their opposition to immigration enforcement in the Coachella Valley.

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Luis Avila

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) — The Coachella Valley Firebirds are back on the ice, and fans are already bringing the energy.

Friday night’s season opener drew hundreds of fans to Acrisure Arena as the Firebirds kicked off another season in the Coachella Valley.

For longtime supporters, the return of hockey has become an annual tradition. For others, Friday night marked their first Firebirds game.

“This is my first season with them,” she said. “I moved in from Indiana, big Hawks fan, but Coachella took my heart.”

The crowd also included some of the youngest Firebirds fans. One grandfather brought his granddaughter to her first game.

Fans said the team has become about more than hockey, describing Firebirds games as a way for people across the Coachella Valley to come together.

“It’s something we need in the valley very much,” one fan said. “We were dying without something like this. It brought the whole community together.”

Of course, fans also came prepared for some traditional game-night food, including bacon cheese fries.

For some families, the Firebirds have even helped inspire the next generation of hockey players.

One fan said his son started playing hockey in the Coachella Valley and now plays Division II hockey.

With the new season underway, fans aren’t shy about their expectations.

“I’m thinking we’re going to win the Calder Cup,” one fan said. “All the way, the whole AHL.”

The Firebirds will look to build on that excitement as the season continues at Acrisure Arena.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Jesus Reyes

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) – A driver has been arrested on suspicion of felony DUI and hit-and-run after a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy was struck during a traffic stop in La Quinta Friday night.

The crash was reported at approximately 8:10 p.m. on Jefferson Street, north of Fiesta Drive and just north of Highway 111.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, the deputy was conducting a traffic stop when he was struck by a passing 2025 Hyundai Palisade.

The deputy was taken by ambulance to Desert Regional Medical Center. Authorities say he suffered minor to moderate injuries.

Investigators were able to obtain the suspect vehicle’s license plate and identify an associated address.

California Highway Patrol officers responded to the residence and arrested the driver on suspicion of felony DUI and hit-and-run.

CHP is handling the investigation.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

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Jesus Reyes

WHITEWATER, Calif. (KESQ) – The #4 lane on the westbound side of Interstate 10 near the Whitewater Rest Area will be shut down for several hours after a semi-truck overturned Friday evening.

The incident was reported at around 6:15 p.m.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the #4 lane is expected to be shut down until just before 9:45 p.m. The incident is causing slow down in the area.

There was no word on whether there were any injuries.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Individuals convicted of serious sex crimes will no longer automatically qualify for consideration of early release from state prison under California’s “Elderly Parole Program” after they’ve turned 50 years old, following amendments to the program signed into law by the governor this week.

The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office took the lead in mustering support for Assembly Bill 2727, introduced by Assemblywoman Stephanie Nguyen, D-Elk Grove, which received the governor’s signature Wednesday.

The pain of victims of sexual offenses continues well after their perpetrator is convicted and incarcerated,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Ivy Fitzpatrick said. “AB 2727 reflects that reality and acts as a safeguard for Californians.”

Prior to AB 2727, any prison inmate over 50 years old who had been incarcerated a minimum of 20 straight years could apply for release under the Elderly Parole Program. With passage of the new law, however, inmates convicted of forcible rape, sodomy, aggravated sexual assault of a minor and similar offenses will now have to reach the age of 65 and have served at least 25 consecutive years in prison before he or she can ask to be considered for elderly parole, prosecutors said.

“These provisions ensure that parole eligibility better reflects both the gravity of the underlying offense and the ongoing risk to the community,” according to the D.A.’s office.

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City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A wildlife preservation nonprofit has advised Coachella Valley residents that today through January is the best time for trimming or removing trees, as the fall and winter seasons avoid peak bird- nesting season.

Tree-trimming during the warmer months of spring and summer can “unintentionally destroy nests, separate young birds from their parents or disturb bats using palms and other trees for shelter and raising their young,” according to Oswit Land Trust.

Throughout the region, palm trees provide shelter and sustenance for birds and other animals. Homeowners and landscapers often remove or trim the skirts off of the native California fan palm and the non-native Mexican fan palm, which provide shelter for birds and bats. Palms are also trimmed to eliminate flower and seed stalks, but those seeds provide valuable food for the wildlife.

Tamara Hedges, a board member for Oswit Land Trust and Desert Wildlife Center, expressed concerns about trimming during busy nesting season from February through September, saying in part, “Over the last six months, the Desert Wildlife Center saw many nestling and fledging patients who were displaced from their nests struggling to survive after their homes were destroyed by chainsaws and hedge trimmers. Baby rabbits and other small mammals were also injured, or even killed; their shady and cool safe havens destroyed just when they are most needed.”

The organization also emphasized that wildlife rely on all types of vegetation, including native trees, ornamental trees, shrubs and hedges for food and shelter and it highlighted the importance of postponing trimming or removal work if a bird nest is active.

“A relatively small change in how — and especially when — we maintain our landscapes can help protect the wildlife that share the Coachella Valley with us,” the organization said in a statement.

The nonprofit was critical of the Palm Springs City Council’s decision to remove skits on palm trees throughout the city earlier this year. The municipal trimming project involves targeting skirts of California fan palms and Mexican fan palms on the basis that it posed a risk to public heath.

“In addition to the physical danger of falling skirts — which can weigh anywhere from 1,000 to over 4,000 pounds — palm tree skirts harbor pests and rodents that pose significant public health risks,” city staff said in a statement earlier this year. “Roof rats are common nesters in palm tree skirts throughout Southern California. … Tree skirts also provide ideal habitat for cockroaches, which carry bacteria including E. coli and salmonella.”

OLT Executive Director Jane Garrison said in a statement at the time, “This is a massive removal of habitat versus trimming the trees 12 feet up from the bottom.”

The city project will be completed in phases over the next four years.

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City News Service

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A man accused of facilitating the fentanyl poisoning of a 22-year-old Rancho Mirage resident failed to make a scheduled court appearance today, prompting a judge to revoke his bail and issue a warrant for his arrest.

Riley Jacob Hagar, 29, of Cathedral City was acquitted in March of murder for the 2022 death of Travis O’Brien. However, jurors deadlocked on whether to convict Hagar of voluntary manslaughter.

The defendant was released from custody after posting a $30,000 bond.

He was due to appear for a retrial status conference at the Larson Justice Center in Indio Friday, but when the case was called, Hagar was nowhere to be found, according to court minutes.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Anthony Villalobos rescinded his bond and signed a bench warrant for his arrest.

Hagar is accused in the death of Travis O’Brien on New Year’s Day 2022.

“Mr. Hagar is the connect. He is the plug,” Deputy District Attorney Steve Sorensen told jurors in March. “Hagar told Travis the date, the location and other information for how to acquire the (fentanyl-packed) pills.”

The prosecutor said O’Brien “went to the person he knew could facilitate (the sale of the drugs)” — Hagar.

Arrangements were made for the victim to procure the fentanyl so that he could sell them to someone else at a profit, according to the prosecution. But in addition to selling the hundreds of M30 “blues,” O’Brien consumed several of the synthetic opiods, investigators alleged.

The young man checked into Room 149 at the Motel 6 in the 69000 block of Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage, where he intended to stay on Jan. 1, 2022, according to trial testimony. He was found dead there that afternoon.

“(Hagar) deliberately acted with conscious disregard to human life. He didn’t care,” Sorensen said.

Defense attorney Ryan Markson rejected the prosecution’s interpretation of what happened, insisting Hagar wasn’t the one who directly provided the fentanyl and had no idea of the lethality of the pills that the victim ingested.

“This is the real thing. It’s as real as it gets,” Markson told the jury. “Accountability is at the essence of the justice system. O’Brien caused his own death.”

He asked jurors whether there was anything fair about trying to make his client “accountable for Travis’ death?”

The attorney reminded jurors that O’Brien contacted Hagar, and that the latter “wasn’t in the business of selling fentanyl,” but didn’t want to ignore the request for help setting up a transaction.

“My client is guilty of poor judgment, not murder,” Markson said.

Hagar was arrested in August 2022, following an investigation by the sheriff’s Overdose Death Investigations Unit. He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A convicted felon who stabbed his girlfriend multiple times in an attack under an Indio bridge will have his prior convictions factored into his sentencing, a judge ruled today before resetting the hearing for December.

A Riverside jury in August convicted 44-year-old Jamin Demar Williams of assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Laura Garcia convened a hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Friday to consider arguments by the defense and prosecution regarding the validity of Williams’ prior crimes. She ultimately decided the aggravating factors were applicable. The defendant’s sentencing hearing, however, was postponed until Dec. 4.

He’s facing more than 10 years behind bars and remains held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.

According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney’s Office, on the afternoon of April 22, 2024, the defendant became irate with the victim, identified only as an area transient, for unspecified reasons.

The brief said Williams and the woman had sometimes shared her tent under the Golf Center Parkway Bridge, and their year-long relationship had involved acts of domestic abuse, though nothing comparable to April 22.

The victim later told Indio Police Department investigators that she was relaxing in her tent when the defendant rushed inside and accused her of “setting me up.”

He punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground.

“After kicking and punching the victim, the defendant began stabbing her,” according to the narrative. “During the assault, the defendant told her, `I’m going to kill you today. I don’t give a (expletive) about you.'”

For a half-hour, Williams held her inside the tent by threatening her with a six-inch knife, according to the prosecution. He inflicted a wound to the right side of her neck, stabbed her three times in the left arm and shoulder, and once behind the right ear, prosecutors said.

When the victim finally broke away, she fled to a nearby 7-Eleven and asked a clerk to call 911, which immediately brought patrol units to the location.

Officers detained the defendant under the bridge following a brief confrontation, during which he baited them to “shoot me, just shoot me then,” the brief said. No shots were fired during his arrest, and neither Williams nor officers suffered injuries.

The woman was taken to a regional trauma center for treatment of her wounds, from which she has since recovered.

Williams was interviewed by detectives that evening, telling them he had “three split personalities,” according to the prosecution. He named the persons as “Jay,” “Ashad” and “Quick.”

“The defendant stated neither Jay or Ashad harmed the victim and were unaware of what happened,” the brief said. “The defendant stated he does not talk to Quick, and Quick did not want to speak with defendant or the police. He told police he knew the woman but never lived under the bridge. He was unsure how he obtained blood on his clothing and body.”

Court records indicated Williams underwent psychiatric evaluations throughout 2024 and was determined to be competent to stand trial.

His prior convictions include making criminal threats and first-degree burglary, resulting in prison time.

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Jesus Reyes

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – A 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of homicide after the death of his 76-year-old stepfather in Rancho Mirage Thursday night.

Deputies were first called to respond to an assault with a deadly weapon call, first reported just after 8:30 p.m. on the 36000 block of Palm View Road.

Deputies located Carl Harry Smith, 76, suffering from injuries consistent with stab wounds. Smith was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Riverside Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit was requested and assumed the investigation.

During the investigation, investigators identified Smith’s stepson, a 36-year-old man from Joshua Tree, as the suspect. The suspect was taken into custody without incident and booked into the John Benoit Detention Center for murder.

The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Central Homicide Unit Investigator John Adams at (951) 955-2777.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — Aubrey O’Day, recording artist and television personality, and country supergroup The Cowgays have been announced as headliners for the for the 40th annual Palm Springs Pride celebration.

Organizers said the two acts offer an early look at a diverse entertainment lineup being assembled for the milestone celebration.

Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks, bringing together regional favorites, emerging artists, and diverse talent from across the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. Across three stages, Pride weekend will feature live music, drag entertainment, DJs, and special performances spanning a range of genres and styles, all in downtown Palm Springs and the Arenas District.

Aubrey O’Day rose to national prominence as a founding member of the multi-platinum pop group Danity Kane, formed through MTV’s Making the Band. The group made history when its first two albums debuted consecutively at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. O’Day later co-founded the alternative dance-pop duo dumblonde and has continued to build a career spanning music, television, Broadway, performance and creative direction.

Joining O’Day as a 2026 headliner are The Cowgays, the country supergroup featuring Adam Mac, Brooke Eden and Chris Housman. The Nashville-based trio brings together three distinctive voices in contemporary country music inspired by the ’90s country they grew up with and reimagined through a proudly queer lens. Their live performances combine three-part harmonies, musicianship, humor, theatricality, and an unmistakable sense of Pride.

What began in 1986 has grown into the region’s largest annual LGBTQ+ gathering and a signature Palm Springs celebration now featuring 40th-anniversary headliners chosen to bring together a diverse range of artists and audiences.

“For 40 years, Palm Springs Pride has been built by people who believe everyone deserves a place where they can show up exactly as they are and know they are part of something bigger,” said Jasmine Sullivan Waits, Executive Director of Greater Palm Springs Pride. “At a time when nonprofits and community celebrations everywhere are navigating a more challenging economic environment, we remain committed to what makes Palm Springs Pride special: keeping this celebration free, welcoming, and accessible to everyone. ‘Be Included’ is our promise that no matter the challenges, we will continue creating a place where our community can gather, celebrate, be seen, and experience joy together.”

This year’s theme, “Be Included,” is both an invitation and a call to action. It reflects Pride’s commitment to creating spaces where LGBTQ+ people and allies are not simply welcomed, but actively included, represented, and celebrated. That commitment extends to the festival itself. Palm Springs Pride is free and open to everyone, allowing residents and visitors to experience the weekend’s entertainment, festival marketplace, community organizations, and celebrations without purchasing an admission ticket.

The 40th anniversary celebration will take over downtown Palm Springs and the Arenas District November 6–8, culminating with the Palm Springs Pride Parade on Sunday, November 8. The parade steps off at 10 a.m. along Palm Canyon Drive.

News Channel 3 is a proud sponsor of Pride. We will broadcast the parade on News Channel 3 and our website.

More entertainment announcements, including the complete roster of performers and stage schedules, will be released in the coming weeks.

For festival information, updates, and ways to support Palm Springs Pride, visit pspride.org.

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