Author: KESQ

City News Service

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – An Aug. 13 trial date was confirmed today for a 24-year-old man accused of publicly exposing himself to multiple young women in La Quinta.

Christopher Duran Jr. of Thermal was arrested in 2020 following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation that was based on a rash ofcomplaints against the defendant, who is charged with three counts each of indecent exposure and attempted indecent exposure, all misdemeanors.

During a status hearing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio Friday, Superior Court Judge Sylwia Luttrell conferred with the prosecution and defense regarding scheduling, and both sides agreed to make preparations for trial in mid-August.

Duran is free on $5,000 bond.   

From February 2022 to May of this year, the defendant was in court- ordered mental health diversion stemming from ongoing doubts about his fitness to stand trial. After completing a behavioral health program, Duran’s case was referred back to regular proceedings for adjudication.

Court documents indicated his alleged offenses occurred between Nov. 22, 2019, and April 30, 2020, during which time he allegedly flashed a half-dozen young women whose identities were not disclosed.  

His May 5, 2020, arrest was the culmination of a monthlong investigation by sheriff’s deputies, who looked into a “series of indecent exposure incidents that were occurring in the area of Avenue 58 and Madison Street,” according to Sgt. David Aldrich.

Deputies located a vehicle belonging to a person believed responsible for the acts and stopped the driver, Duran, detaining him in the same area where the crimes had been reported.

Aldrich said the defendant was “positively identified as the suspect.”   

He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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Haley Meberg

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)- A train burglary in Southern California was stopped by local enforcements saving over $22,000 worth of unreleased Nike sneakers. 

Friday afternoon, it was reported that on Route 66 two men were stopped by Indio Border Patrol agents in their attempts to steal 104 pairs of not-yet-released Nike sneakers. 

The two men have been taken into custody and are facing charges of “theft of interstate or foreign shipments by carrier” and “reentry of removed alien.”

This incident is not the first train burglary seen this past year. In February, almost $2m worth of Nike sneakers were being stolen off trains across California and Arizona. 

Cases with burglary of items like DJ equipment and other cargo have been seen more over the past few months. It is unclear if this incident is related, but this rise in theft leaves local authorities on high alert. 

Stay with News Channel 3 for more updates on this issue. 

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City News Service

BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – A convicted felon accused of killing a 30-year-old Cabazon man whose disappearance remained a mystery until his remains were located more than two years later must stand trial for first-degree murder, a judge ruled today.

Shannon McCloud Collins, 48, of Cabazon was arrested last year following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the 2021 death of Zachary Hemminger.

At the end of a preliminary hearing Friday, Superior Court Judge Ronald Toff found there was sufficient evidence to bound Collins over for trial on the murder count, scheduling a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for July 14 at the Banning Justice Center.

The defendant is being held on $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.  

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Jarred Bishop, Collins allegedly killed Hemminger on April 7, 2021, for reasons still unclear.   

Bishop said detectives were alerted that Hemminger had gone missing, but there was no confirmation of foul play until the investigation had progressed.

When detectives received sufficient information pointing to a homicide, they began developing leads, ultimately identifying the approximate location where the victim’s body had been dumped, the sergeant said. He said that in November 2023, remains were uncovered in the 40000 block of Blanche Avenue in Cabazon that forensic analysis confirmed were those of Hemminger.   

The investigation continued, culminating in an arrest warrant being served on Collins during the morning of June 21, 2024, when he was taken into custody without incident at a residence on Lois Avenue.

How the defendant and victim were acquainted, and the circumstances that led to the alleged attack, were not disclosed.   

Court records show Collins has prior convictions for animal cruelty, auto theft and receiving stolen property.

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Athena Jreij

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — Following the Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship ruling, local immigration attorneys are now worried about the impact it could have on their clients.

After more than 150 years of legal precedence, the court’s conservative majority ruled 6-3 to allow President Trump’s order to move forward in some ways. They also rolled back the power of lower court injunctions on the President’s orders.

Ally Bolour with the Bolour/Carl Immigration Group in Palm Springs, spoke with News Channel 3 in January about President Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship. Bolour said he believed the order was ‘completely unconstitutional,’ and defied the 14th Amendment.

Now, Bolour says he’s shocked by the developments, but stands by his opinion that the order is unconstitutional and saying it could endanger babies of being deported with nowhere to go.

“That baby perhaps is not a U.S. citizen, which creates a problem because that baby may be stateless. That baby may have nowhere to go,” Bolour said.

While SCOTUS didn’t rule if the order was constitutional, it’s ruling will allow the President’s order to take effect in states or among persons that have not challenged it.

He thinks this could jam the court system and make enforcement difficult.

“The way they envision it is every single person that has a problem with this or every single state, you must sue as a class action lawsuit and see how it goes. It just exhausts all the resources that, both the federal and the state governments that are already, used to the max,” Bolour said.

The ruling comes as a major win for President Trump, who has long said the right has been abused by migrants.

“That was meant for the babies of slaves. It wasn’t meant for people trying to scam the system and come into the country on a vacation,” President Trump said in a press conference Friday.

While California, one of the 22 states that sued the Trump administration over it’s birthright citizenship order, is unlikely to face enforcement, Bolour says we could feel the impact in other ways.

“Until and unless there’s an adverse ruling on the 14th Amendment issue, birthright citizenship, we’re fine. The other thing that can happen is we can have an influx of pregnant women giving birth in states like California just to ensure that right,” Bolour said.

SCOTUS has given the administration 30 days to outline enforcement guidelines. Until then, all babies born in the U.S. are entitled to American citizenship.

For more information on the Bolour/ Carl Immigration Group, visit: https://americanvisas.net/

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Peter Daut

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) – Doctors say it is one of the most underreported public safety issues in the Coachella Valley: crashes involving golf carts. They’re often serious and can be deadly.

“The number of people after my accident who’ve come up to me to say ‘I’ve also fallen out of a golf cart’ or ‘I’ve also tipped on over,’ it is more common than we think, especially within golf communities,” said Christie Sander, who had a golf cart accident in La Quinta.

Doctors at Desert Regional agree, since they see dozens of golf cart injuries each year. The Coachella Valley is a golfing powerhouse, home to more than 120 golf courses, making it one of the most densely packed golf regions in the world. And with that comes thousands of golf carts.

“I think we do have the highest concentration of golf cart injuries in the country,” Desert Regional trauma surgeon Dr. Danielle Vanderet said. “The most concerning injuries that we see regularly is traumatic brain injuries. But they can also encompass sprains, strains, contusions, and broken bones.”

I-Team investigator Peter Daut looked at how common these crashes are, why police say they’re not getting the attention they deserve, and the message survivors want you to hear.

Watch the special report, Sunday at 6 p.m. on News Channel 3.

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Luis Avila

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The fight against HIV is far from over, and growing uncertainty around federal support isn’t helping.

This year, fears grew when the Trump administration proposed deep cuts to HIV prevention programs, both in the U.S. and abroad. The proposals included ending support for CDC prevention efforts, vaccine research, and global treatment access. Public health leaders warned the cuts could lead to thousands of new infections per day worldwide.

After backlash from health advocates and lawmakers, the administration reversed course. But this hasn’t eased worry among advocates, with ongoing changes in federal policy and a funding period of 12 months.

Manny Muro, program manager at DAP Health, says the work isn’t over.

“It’s really important to utilize those services that are out here. Obviously, there’s going to be some contention with the federal government but we’re doing our part and we’re helping out our community right here in the Coachella Valley.”

Manny Muro, DAP Health program manager

That starts with increased accessibility to testing.

This National HIV Testing Day, DAP Health offered free, rapid HIV tests at six Walgreens locations across the Coachella Valley.

But Muro says there are still exisiting barriers keeping people from utilizing them.

“It’s important to know not everyone is getting tested so there’s a lot of undiagnosed HIV transmissions out there that we don’t even know. First step of knowing is getting tested… The stigma is very real. I think people are afraid to know their status because it’s engrained that, we don’t talk about those things.”

Manny Muro, DAP Health program manager

DAP Health is urging routine testing for early treatment and stopping the spread.

For more information, click here.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Kendall Flynn

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Air Museum is wrapping up week two of it’s inaugural Science of Aviation Rocketry camp for ages 10 to 14, giving local kids the chances to design, build and launch model rockets.

Organizers say the program is designed to “ignite curiosity and inspire future innovators.” The group of fifth through eight graders engages in hands-one activities at the Palm Springs Air Museum from Monday to Friday.

While some schools in the Valley provide aviation or rocketry programs, the Palm Springs Air Museum Education Programs Manager Maria Wren says there could be more opportunities for all students.

“Our goal is to be able to reach more of the students who may not necessarily have access to these kinds of programs in their own schools, in their own communities,” Wren said. “Make it something that is accessible to everyone.”

The group of up to 15 kids will learn rocket design and launch sciences based on the “Next Generation Science Standards,” according to the air museum. The students start learning Monday and work to design their dream rocket. By the last day of camp on Friday, they get to launch them on the air museum tarmac.

One local student named Julian even said the program is helping him in his future career goals and teaching him the basics of aviation and rocketry.

“I really want to have a future in aerospace, so I saw this as a great opportunity to learn the basics,” Julian said.

His model rocket gave him the chance to test his knowledge and make a successful project, with the hopes his new skills will carry into his future.

“We have to learn to make designs that counter drag and help life,” Julian said. “My rocket has two big fins to glide and two small fins to stabilize.”

Wren says even if her students don’t want to work in aviation like Julian, she hopes the week-long camp makes a lasting impact on their science-learning experience.

“I really hope that our students walk away loving science,” Wren said. “A lot of times our students feel like science is something they have to do. We want them to walk away feeling like science was something they got to have fun with.”

For more information on the Palm Springs Air Museum Soar Camp visit palmspringsairmuseum.org

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from camp organizers and students on the rocket launch and the importance of science camps.

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Cynthia White

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KESQ) – Local Assemblyman Greg Wallis (R-Bermuda Dunes) announced on Thursday he’s secured state funding to help rebuild the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic damaged in the Palm Springs bombing in May.

In a statement, Wallis called it a bipartisan effort and thanked legislative leaders and the LGBTQ+ caucus for their support.

“Collaborating with Speaker Rivas and the budget chairs of both houses, we united in a bipartisan response to the tragic events to support the Palm Springs community during this challenging time. I deeply appreciate the vital support from legislative leaders and particularly the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus in Sacramento, which was instrumental in securing these funds in a tough budget year.”

He added that the collaborative efforts and support to secure the funding are “a prime example of how Californians can unite to uplift our communities in times of need.”

News Channel 3 will continue to bring you the latest as the community works to move forward after the bombing.

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KESQ News Team

YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – San Bernardino County Morongo Basin Sheriff’s investigators are looking for two armed robbery suspects after they entered a massage parlor on Wednesday brandishing a machete and demanding money.

Deputies say they responded to Dragon Massage on Twentynine Palms Highway in Yucca Valley around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday for a report of two Asian males with knives.

They report the two adult males went in to Dragon Massage, and one asked for a massage but was told the business was closed. One of the suspects then brandished a machete and demanded money. Both suspects ended up fleeing the scene without getting any cash.

Deputies conducted a search of the premises, but the suspects were already gone. They were able to collect footage of the incident from the cameras at the business.

They urge anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Deputy Gamino of the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Station at (760) 365-9413/366-4175. Callers who want to remain anonymous can call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463), or leave information on the We-Tip Hotline at www.wetip.com.

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Allie Anthony

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Hollywood action star Lewis Tan, who you might recognize for roles in Mortal Kombat, Deadpool 2, Deadpool and Wolverine, and Cobra Kai, met local students at a Young Creators Program event.

The program is is part of Palm Springs Unified School District’s Expanded Learning Program, aimed at giving students opportunities they might not get during regularly scheduled school hours.

News Channel 3’s Allie Anthony spoke with Tan at the event.

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