Author: KESQ

KESQ News Team

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – You can make a difference in a child’s life at this year’s CHiPS for Kids Toy Drive.

Today, News Channel 3 and the California Highway Patrol will be out at Mathis Home in Indio from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., collecting new, unwrapped toys including sports gear, board games, dolls, and toy cars.

Mathis Home is located at 81410 Highway 111, west of Clinton Street.

All items collected will be distributed to local families in need this holiday season.

CHP Officer David Torres says, “Throughout the toy drive, our officers are going out to the places we serve, and we’re going to give out toys in patrol cars as well.”

If you can’t make it Friday, unwrapped toy donations are being accepted through December 20th at any Coachella Valley Walgreen’s location.

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City News Service

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs International Airport announced today it has implemented a new program aimed to deliver airport news and information without constant audio interruptions and frequent announcements.   

“Quiet by Design” is a redesigned audio environment that streamlines essential information through visual displays that provides what officials call a seamless and easy-to-navigate experience.

“Our terminal has always been known for its sense of calm — open air spaces, natural light and a relaxed desert aesthetic, said Harry Barrett Jr., executive director of Aviation. “Quiet by Design enhances that feeling. Guests now enjoy a more peaceful terminal without sacrificing clarity or access to information.”

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Shay Lawson

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ)  – Riverside County leaders gathered Thursday night at Acrisure Arena for the 2025 County of Riverside State of the County event.

The event drew over 1,000, as Riverside County officials outlined the county’s accomplishments over the past year and priorities for 2026.

Each of the 5 Riverside County Supervisors laid out the achievements within their districts.

Fourth District Supervisor and Board Chair V. Manuel Perez highlighting the growth in the Coachella Valley from the revitalization of Lake Cahuilla to green lighting new power substations.

He also pointed out a decrease in homelessness county wide.

The presentation continuing with more of the county’s big wins including population increase and RivCoOne — a countywide initiative aimed at delivering public services through a people centric approach.

Supervisor Perez said looking ahead the focus remains on the Salton Sea, CV Rail and College of the Desert Expansions.

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City News Service

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Singer and “American Idol” alum David Archuleta will headline the 10th annual Cathedral City LGBT+ Days, slated for next year, it was announced today.

“For our 10th anniversary, we knew we needed a headliner who not only possesses incredible talent but also embodies the spirit of resilience and authenticity,” Michael Westman, producer of the event, said in a statement. “David’s journey reminds us that true strength comes from embracing who you are, even when it’s difficult. His voice, his story and his spirit perfectly align with our mission to celebrate the unbreakable bond of our `commUNITY.'”  

Archuleta will take the main stage in the downtown area on March 7. With this year’s theme, “CommUNITY Strong,” the event, presented by Agua Caliente Casino, will feature a drag race competition, a drone show, a bed race, parade, vendor marketplace, a pride flag raisining at City Hall and a festival inside the Community Amphitheatre.   

More information can be found at CathedralCityLGBTdays.com.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A death sentence was handed down today for a Banning gang member involved in five killings — sometimes just for sport — over multiple years.

During a hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Friday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Matthew Perantoni affirmed the jury’s recommendation, imposing the death sentence on Armendariz, who will be bound for California’s Death Row at San Quentin State Prison after the death warrant

Armendariz had pleaded guilty in July to five counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, as well as a special circumstance allegation of killing for the benefit of a criminal street gang and numerous sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations, according to court records.  

The jury was convened at the Riverside Hall of Justice expressly to determine whether he should receive life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty. After roughly three weeks of testimony, jurors recommended the latter. Riverside County Superior Court Judge Matthew Perantoni is slated to follow the panel’s recommendation during the sentencing hearing Friday.  

The defendant is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail. Several of his co-defendants were convicted in prior years.   

“Taking these criminals off the streets has been a long process but has made the city of Banning a safer place for all residents and visitors,” Banning Police Capt. Brandon Smith said in October. “Although the recent convictions do not bring loved ones back to their families, the Banning Police Department hopes to have provided some justice and closure to the families.”  

Armendariz, a documented gang member, was directly involved in the slayings of 21-year-old Bradley Cunningham, 53-year-old James Lara Jr., 48-year-old Felicia McCafferty, 51-year-old Charles Neazer and 42-year-old Theresa Sanchez.

The first murder occurred in the predawn hours of Nov. 7, 2015, near Fifth and Williams streets, where Neazer was gunned down by the defendant, according to investigators.   

On the night of July 1, 2018, he targeted Cunningham and the victim’s friend in the area of Lincoln Street and Navajo Road, killing Cunningham in the street. The victim’s friend narrowly escaped death, police said.   

On the afternoon of Aug. 30, 2020, Lara, McCafferty and Sanchez were gunned down while gathered at San Gorgonio Memorial Park Cemetery.

“It came out at trial that the gang had a game, where they’d get points for killing people,” Supervising Deputy District Attorney Kevin Beechem told City News Service.

The prosecutor said the cemetery slayings stemmed from a perceived gang-related rivalry between Lara and Armendariz’s affiliates. When hostilities erupted at the site, McCafferty and Sanchez attempted to intervene on Lara’s behalf and were killed along with him.   

The cases were cold until detectives gathered sufficient forensic and eyewitness evidence to tie them together, ultimately identifying Armendariz as the principal conspirator. His younger brother, Christopher Armendariz, and several other gang members were implicated as well.

Initially, there were multiple cases in which William Armendariz was a named defendant, though they were eventually consolidated. He was arrested without incident on a fugitive warrant in September 2020 in St. Louis, Missouri, and extradited to California.

While proceedings were pending in his case, most of his co-conspirators’ cases were resolved. Samuel Vasquez, who was involved in the Neazer killing and that of another man, Henry Waters Jr., in February 2017, was convicted of two counts of murder and other offenses and sentenced in 2023 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.   

Christopher Armendariz admitted voluntary manslaughter and criminal street gang activity charges and was sentenced in 2022 to 11 years in prison.   

Brandon Hylkema pleaded guilty in 2023 to manslaughter and gang activity counts in connection with Cunningham’s death. He’s slated for sentencing on Feb. 13 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Another conspirator, Jovanny Daniel Martinez, is set to go on trial in late January at the downtown courthouse for murder, also stemming from the Cunningham killing.

Both he and Hylkema are being held without bail at county correctional facilities.

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Garrett Hottle

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert is kicking off her districtwide listening tour in Palm Springs today, appearing with U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer as she campaigns for California’s 48th Congressional District.

Von Wilpert, a Democrat and former labor lawyer, is holding a media availability at 12:45 p.m. at Lulu California Bistro following a fundraiser and a grassroots listening session with local activists. Her Palm Springs stop marks the first major campaign event in the district since incumbent Republican Rep. Darrell Issa abandoned a brief effort to run for Congress in Texas and announced he would instead seek reelection in CA-48.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Between today and Monday, fee waivers are in effect at all Riverside County animal shelters, where visitors can find a wide variety of homeless pets to take home for the Holidays.

“When you adopt a pet, you are also helping us make space in our kennels for the next animals that continue to come in and need our help, because we always have to have space for them,” Department of Animal Services Deputy Director Jaclyn Schart said. “We want as many pets as possible to leave our shelters with a new family, and our staff looks forward to making these connections happen across our shelters.”  

The nonprofit BISSELL Pet Foundation is sponsoring the county’s “Empty the Shelters — Holiday Hope” campaign until Dec. 15, during which all spay/neuter, vaccination and microchipping fees will be waived. Adopters will only need to pay state-mandated licensing fees for dogs, which for fixed canines generally run around $25 or less.   

The largest strain on the county’s four shelters is the number of impounded dogs, numbering close to 1,000 currently, officials said.   

“This year has placed enormous pressure on shelters across the country, as more families face financial hardship and housing changes that force them to surrender beloved pets,” BISSELL Pet Foundation founder Cathy Bissell said. “If you’re considering adding a pet to your family, adoption has so many benefits. Shelters have desirable pets of every size and age — many who have lived in homes, are house trained, already spayed or neutered, vaccinated and ready to become part of your family — all for a fraction of the cost of buying from a breeder or pet store.”

In May, the county Board of Supervisors approved a “no kill” policy, resolving that the county will make it an objective to preserve the lives of a minimum of 90% of all cats and dogs impounded at the county’s shelters.   

The policy entails greater emphasis on free or low-cost spay and neuter clinics, enhanced “return-to-owner” programs that unite lost pets with their loved ones, adoption campaigns with full fee waivers, expedited “trap-neuter-return-to-field” programs that were inaugurated in March 2024 and pet fostering. The latter provides opportunities for Inland Empire residents to take a dog or cat home for set or open periods, without the obligation to adopt. Fostered pets receive free veterinary care from the county and can be returned to a shelter anytime.

The no-kill effort dovetails with a reformation initiated last year by the board, when one organization alleged that the county had the highest pet “kill rate” in the nation.

Last year, the board hired Austin, Texas-based Outcomes for Pets LLC Principal Adviser Kristen Hassen to rectify problems within the agency, and last February the supervisors approved the Executive Office’s selection of Mary Martin to head the department following a nationwide executive recruitment drive. She took the helm at the end of March.   

Information about shelters’ hours of operation and the current adoption campaign can be found at www.rcdas.org/adoptable-pets.

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Kendall Flynn

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Senate on Thursday failed to pass competing Democratic and Republican bills to address health care costs. The failed advancement comes with a 51-48 divide on each measure, leaving many concerned of what’s to come to in the new year for health insurance.

Without a decision, significant price hikes lie ahead for nearly 22 million Americans in the new year. If there isn’t a last-minute deal in Congress, the tens of millions of people could see tripled monthly premiums.

For the Affordable Care Act, Democrats have been seeking an extension of enhanced tax credits, which has been their main demand since the government shutdown. Republicans did offer their own plan of sending funds directly to consumers instead of extending current subsides. Four Republicans did join the Democrats to support an extension, but both plans did not pass with a vote of 51-48 each – 60 votes are needed to pass.

News Channel 3 starting at 4 p.m. to hear local reaction and what this means for residents.

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Tauli Anderson

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – As the stretch from Thanksgiving through New Year’s gets underway, highways across the country — including right here in the Coachella Valley — are entering one of the most dangerous travel periods of the year.

National statistics show a continuing rise in holiday driving fatalities, with alcohol, drugs, and drowsy driving among the leading causes.

Local law enforcement agencies here in the Coachella Valley say they’re already seeing early signs of trouble: heavier traffic, more impaired drivers, and an uptick in fatigue-related incidents. For officers across the valley, this season isn’t just busy — it can be deadly.

Departments have increased DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols during this time.

They report that many of the crashes they respond to during the holidays are entirely preventable with a bit of planning and personal responsibility.

With celebrations ramping up and more people on the road, safety advocates are echoing the same advice: slow down, stay alert, and make smart choices before getting behind the wheel.

 

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Luis Avila

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – Leadership concerns in the City of Coachella are mounting after Mayor Steven Hernandez was again absent from Wednesday night’s city council meeting — an absence that forced key agenda items to be postponed.

Three items, including the selection of a new mayor pro tem and appointments to council subcommittees, were pushed to a future date due to Hernandez’s no-show.

Since being arraigned in October on perjury and conflict-of-interest charges, Hernandez has noticeably reduced his public appearances, raising frustration among residents and community advocates.

One of them is Alan Carvalho, a local social advocate and frequent speaker at Coachella City Council meetings. He says the mayor’s continued absences amount to a failure in leadership and a disservice to constituents.

“This doesn’t serve the public. The distractions don’t serve the public. Not attending — you’re paid to be there to serve the public. For whatever reason, you don’t show up — out of fear, the inability to address the situation…”

Alan Carvalho, Social Advocate

Carvalho insists that the mayor’s absence should not prevent the city from conducting its business. He says the remaining council members must confront the issue directly and continue moving the city forward.

“They really need to spend more time reassuring the public that there’s four — there’s still four members of council and those four are more than qualified to move the city forward without a mayor.”

Alan Carvalho, Social Advocate

In an effort to obtain clarification on how the council plans to proceed, News Channel 3 reached out multiple times to Mayor Pro Tem Denise Delgado and the city. Delgado was ultimately unavailable for comment.

As questions remain about the city’s next steps, residents hope action comes sooner rather than later.

Last month, the city council stated they were discussing the possibility of censuring the mayor.

Stay with New Channel 3 for more.

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