Author: KESQ

Athena Jreij

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Trash, many telling us it’s a problem for residents in Thousand Palms. 

From people’s trash to construction waste, it’s a problem that’s piling up.    

Code enforcement has been working for years to clean up illegal dumping and homeless encampments at a 93-acre lot at the corner of Monterey and Varner. But business owners say it’s all showing up again – this is just one of many lots in Thousand Palms facing this issue.

Since 2010, code enforcement has opened 30 cases on the property at Monterey and Varner. The worst of them in 2022, when it took them two years to clear 18 homeless encampments. It’s come a long way since then but locals fear what new trash could mean for the future.

News Channel 3’s Athena Jreij goes in-depth on the issue in her special report, Trash Talk.

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Luis Avila

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Friday is the final day of Amazon’s extended Prime Day sales event, with online shoppers flocking to score discounts on everything from electronics to home goods. Nationally, Prime Day spending is expected to top $23 billion.

But not everyone is buying into the hype.

Local businesses say the growing dominance of e-commerce, especially during major sale events like Prime Day, is creating serious challenges, including lower sales.

“It’s slow for everybody… It’s not only the weather, it’s Amazon and all that it’s hard for small businesses.”

Maria, local small business employee

But local shoppers say you just can’t beat shopping in person.

“Online is easier but it’s nice to support them because these people have families and they live here and I just feel like it’s a personal type thing where you can help them out… Just now I asked her which looks best on me and I guess the advice and support from the person who works there you don’t get that online. You just have to get the size and hope it fits. This I can try on and I can make sure it fits good and she can tell me whether it looks good or not.”

Janae, Palm Springs resident

Some businesses are even making a push of their own, reminding residents that some of the best deals, and biggest impacts, are still found close to home.

“My main focus because we’re under $10 clothing shop, is to keep my merchandise better and better. Sale is always there, but I try to keep my quality… I think the best thing is start showing our stuff online too. What kind of merchandise we carry. That helps maybe more businesses.”

Azmatqazi, L.A.’s Fashion owner

Owners who see an opportunity to reconnect with consumers eager to shop.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Jesus Reyes

BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – A suspect in the shooting death of a 66-year-old man at the Desert Hills Premium Outlets in Cabazon has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

Elijah Ray Burt, 22, is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 5.

Burt was arrested along with his twin brother, Emanuel Rick Burt, and a third suspect, Reginald Charles Trice, for the slaying of Michael Moser of Palm Springs in March 2022.

Michael Moser is pictured far left

Emanuel Burt, 22, was convicted in November of robbery charges. He was sentenced to 72 months in state prison, according to court records.

Trice, 21, is currently on trial on multiple charges, including first-degree murder. His trial will continue on Monday, court records show.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Ramirez alleged Trice confronted Moser shortly before 7 p.m. on March 24, 2022, in the 48600 block of Seminole Drive, though the specific location within the mall wasn’t provided.

Ramirez said Moser was shot at least once, prompting calls to 911, after which deputies and paramedics converged on the location. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

There was no sign of the defendants when deputies reached the mall. However, Ramirez said over the ensuing weeks, detectives developed leads pointing to Trice as one of the alleged assailants. A warrant was obtained and served at his residence in the 15500 block of Morada Road on April 21, 2022, according to the sheriff’s spokesman.   

The defendant was taken into custody without incident.

The brothers were identified and named in the criminal complaint after Trice’s arrest.

They were tracked down and taken into custody in Las Vegas at the end of April 2022. A month later, they were returned to Riverside County.   

None of the men had documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

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Jesus Reyes

Palm Springs, Calif. (KESQ) – Construction crews will be working on Indian Canyon Drive between Sunrise Parkway and Garnet Avenue in North Palm Springs from 8:00 p.m. on Friday to 5:00 a.m. on Saturday, officials said.

Drivers are advised to watch out for traffic control as crews will be striping the road.

To ensure the safety of construction crews, the speed limit along Indian Canyon Drive will be reduced to 35 mph while our team is hard at work.

Residents can find key information on the Indian Canyon Drive Widening project, the latest updates, and frequently asked questions at www.indiancanyonproject.com.

If you have any questions or concerns about the Indian Canyon Drive widening, please contact our hotline at 760-203-5224. For more direct assistance, contact construction manager Andrew Beebe at andrew.beebe@weareharris.com or call 949-396-4735. 

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Haley Meberg

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ)– The Beer Hunter Sports Bar & Grill in La Quinta loses liquor license after employees served alcohol to two minors resulting in great bodily injuries. 

According to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) in January 2024, two bartenders were said to have supplied two minors with alcoholic beverages at The Beer Hunter Sports Bar & Grill without conducting proper ID checks leaving the two underaged individuals exiting the property clearly intoxicated. 

After leaving the property one of the minors backed their vehicle into a parked car, exited the vehicle and entered the roadway where they were struck by an oncoming car, causing major bodily injuries. 

Following the incident the ABC conducted an investigation where it was determined the La Quinta sports bar employees furnished the alcohol to the minors leading to the injuries.

“Keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors is one of our top priorities,” said ABC Acting Director Frank Robles. “We’re reminding businesses and their employees to check IDs carefully and do their part to keep Californians safe.”

The ABC sought disciplinary action against the bar for supplying alcoholic beverages to minors, service of alcohol to someone that was clearly intoxicated and other business-related violations resulting in the suspension of their alcohol license.

The Beer Hunter Sports Bar & Grill had closed its door September 2024 due to alleged lease issues. 

Even though the bar had been closed prior to a conclusion the ABC reported they still continued on with the investigation that had been in place. 

We asked an ABC official what this license suspension will mean for the property in which they responded, “Under the agreement with the licensee, the license is revoked, with the revocation stayed for the next 180 days to allow for transfer of the license. In addition, the license is suspended indefinitely until it is transferred.” 

No further information about the future of this bar has been released. 

Stay with News Channel 3 for more updates.

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Luis Avila

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Vector control officials will conduct anti-mosquito spraying to help prevent the spread of mosquito-borne viruses starting this week throughout the Coachella Valley.

The Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District will operate the treatment on Saturdays from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. starting on July 19 through Sept. 6.

The agency said it will apply a wide area larvicide using truck-mounted equipment that combines high volumes of air and low volumes of liquid larvicide mixed with water. The product applied for the operation is an organic larvicide approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute and is safe for people, pets, and other insects.

The cities targeted will include Cathedral City, Palm Springs and Palm Desert.

“Every year we analyze our trap data, our mosquito abundance data from across the valley and we’ve determined that these four communities have increase mosquito at least in the last year so in order to prepare for the upcoming mosquito season, we are targeting these communities to try to eliminate any mosquito breeding.”

Robert Gaona, CV Mosquito & Vector Control District public information officer

To view a map of treatment areas and for more information, go to www.cvmosquito.org/mosquito-control-treatments-e755425.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Jesus Reyes

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – Iris Williams, a local resident and renowned singer, has died at the age of 79, according to the BBC.

Williams performed for Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In 2004, Queen Elizabeth II honored Williams with the title of OBE, Order of the British Empire, for her contribution to music.

In 2022, Williams spoke with News Channel 3 about her experience with Queen Elizabeth II.

Williams was a friend of President Gerald Ford, a fellow Rancho Mirage resident. She performed for the President multiple times over the years.

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Kendall Flynn

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Thursday around 6:40 a.m., an I-10 westbound semi-truck veered across the center divider and overturned in the eastbound lanes near Date Palm Drive.

Authorities with the Riverside County Coroners Office identified two victims in the big rig crash as Francisco Sicairos Leon, 58, of Desert Hot Springs, and Miguel Macias, 49, of Santa Ana.

California Highway Patrol Officer David Torres confirmed the driver of the semi-truck was injured but did survive, and they are still investigating the cause of the accident. Torres said he was the first on scene yesterday, and with the semi-truck and five cars involved in the accident, there was a lot of information to take in.

Other drivers were stopped on the highway for nearly two and a half hours, while investigators took in as much information as they could. As of now they do not have an update on what caused the crash, and are continuing the investigation.

The California Department of Transportation is on site Friday repairing 44 guardrail posts, and hopes to be complete by Saturday. The guardrail was completely taken out on both sides as the big rig veered through the center divider.

Guardrails on State highways are intended to take heavy impacts at an angle and redirect errant vehicles back onto the roadway, typically not head-on impacts such as what occurred Thursday.

Friday, they are replacing the guardrail posts with steel, adding additional impact reinforcement for future incidents. Although this was a unique guardrail impact, Caltrans will continue to explore new and innovative ways to create a safer infrastructure for the motoring public and will work closely with our CHP partners once the investigation is final.

News Channel 3 is reaching out to CHP to determine what the investigation process is for a crash like this, and will be reaching out to the California Department of Transportation on repairing the guardrail to protect other drivers.

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Jesus Reyes

Update:

In a letter released on Friday night , Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz and his colleagues detailed what they called a disturbing pattern of misconduct and constitutional violations carried out by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in recent months. The letter demands that Secretary Kristi Noem resign no later than July 20, 2025, to begin restoring integrity and accountability to the Department.

“The American people deserve a leader who respects life, liberty, and the law, not one who misuses power, lacks compassion, and puts at risk the core values of our democracy, “said Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25). “Secretary Noem has demonstrated an alarming disregard for civil rights and has weaponized federal agencies against innocent people, including veterans, U.S. citizens, and even Members of Congress.”

Key points outlined in the letter include:

Since March 2025, more than 28,000 individuals have been detained during ICE operations including over 8,400 U.S. citizens and veterans, many without due process or proper documentation.

DHS has deployed masked ICE agents in unmarked vehicles, targeting homes, schools, workplaces, and places of worship—sowing fear and confusion in immigrant communities.

Families have been separated, and children are likely to suffer lasting trauma as a result.

In Southern California, peaceful protesters, legal observers, and journalists were met with tear gas and rubber bullets, violating their constitutional rights.

A father of three active-duty Marines was reportedly assaulted during an ICE raid, raising concerns about DHS’s treatment of veterans and their families.

Most alarmingly, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was handcuffed and detained while conducting constitutionally protected congressional oversight. Secretary Noem’s defense of the arrest sets a dangerous precedent and threatens the separation of powers.

The letter also highlights Secretary Noem’s hypocrisy, citing her past opposition to federal overreach while governor of South Dakota, compared to her current authorization of militarized raids nationwide.

“When DHS begins detaining U.S. citizens, silencing journalists, and handcuffing Members of Congress under the guise of law enforcement, we are no longer dealing with isolated misconduct—we are facing systemic abuse,” Ruiz added. “Secretary Noem must step down.”

The full letter, calls for DHS to immediately reverse current enforcement policies that suppress oversight, endanger civil liberties, and traumatize communities across the country.

Original Report:

ADELANTO, Calif. (KESQ) – Congressman Raul Ruiz called for the immediate resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a news conference at the Adelanto Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.

Ruiz was joined by Congresswoman Norma Torres.

According to Ruiz’s office, the visit follows a recent denial of entry due to a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy that increases the required notice for congressional visits from 72 hours to 7 days.

Ruiz says his office submitted a request within the longstanding 72-hour timeframe, DHS denied access, citing the new policy.

More from Congressman Ruiz’s Office:

“As duly elected Members of Congress, Congressman Ruiz and Congresswoman Torres have the constitutional authority to conduct unannounced oversight of federal facilities, including those operated by ICE. Barriers like this undermine that authority, reduce transparency, and raise serious concerns about the treatment of immigrants being held by ICE. Congressman Ruiz remains committed to holding DHS and ICE accountable and to protecting the rights and dignity of all individuals in the immigration system.”

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Allie Anthony

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – As temperatures rise this summer, indoor businesses thrive with visitors looking to beat the heat while having fun.

The Berger Iceplex is an escape from the heat, with indoor temperatures around 65 degrees. The rink offers a variety of programs for both kids and adults, including NHL Learn to Play and the Skate Academy. There’s something for every age and skill level. They also have plenty of great deals and membership opportunities.

Dave & Buster’s is another option for all ages. With a full-service restaurant and hundreds of arcade games, it’s a fun way to spend quality time with family or hang out with friends.

For those seeking cooler temperatures and stunning views of the Valley, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is your ride to the top of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park. You’ll get up to an elevation of 8,516 feet to be greeted by over 50 miles of hiking trails.

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