Author: KESQ

KESQ News Team

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A crash in Palm Springs Saturday afternoon caused damage to a building, with minor injuries reported.

Crews were called around 3:28 p.m. to the area of La Verne Way and South Camino Real.

It is unclear how many people were involved or what caused the crash.

News Channel 3 was on scene and saw a car being towed away and damage to the corner wall of a building.

The incident remains under investigation.

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KESQ News Team

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Animal care workers at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens returned to the picket line Saturday, October 31, as a labor dispute over wages and their first union contract continues.

Workers demonstrated outside the Palm Desert zoo, calling for higher wages as negotiations between the union and zoo management remain unresolved.

The latest demonstration comes after more than three years of negotiations. Employees first voted to unionize in January 2023.

Workers also picketed in May, when some employees accused zoo management of union-busting tactics and retaliation. The Living Desert has denied those allegations.

The union now says it has filed for mediation and three unfair labor practice claims with the National Labor Relations Board. Union representatives also say their attempts to secure mediation have gone unanswered.

News Channel 3 reached out to The Living Desert for an update.

In a statement, the zoo said it has presented the union with its “comprehensive last, best, and final proposal,” which it says includes agreeing to the union’s proposed wage scale.

The zoo maintains the union is responsible for delays in negotiations.

The statement also says that while the zoo does not intend to change its final offer, it will continue to meet its obligations to consider and respond to any proposals from the union.

The labor dispute remains ongoing.

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Kiera McKinney

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — Costumes, music and Halloween celebrations are drawing people to downtown Palm Springs this weekend, with safety on the roads an important part of planning a night out.

Halloween Palm Springs continues Saturday, October 31, from 4 to 10 p.m. in the Arenas District. The free event features entertainment and a costume contest with more than $2,000 in prizes, according to organizers.

For people heading out to celebrate, planning how to get home can help prevent a deadly crash.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 176 people nationwide were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver on Halloween nights from 2019 through 2024. Those deaths included 31 pedestrians. The agency defines Halloween night as 6 p.m. October 31 through 5:59 a.m. November 1.

NHTSA encourages anyone celebrating with alcohol to arrange a sober ride before drinking, whether through a designated driver, taxi or rideshare.

Drivers should slow down, watch for people crossing streets and use extra caution after dark. The agency also advises drivers to yield at crosswalks and avoid passing a vehicle stopped for someone crossing.

People walking should use sidewalks and cross at intersections or crosswalks. Before stepping into the street, they should check for traffic and make sure approaching drivers have stopped.

Stay tuned for the full story at 10 and 11 on News Channel 3.

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Matthew Pearce

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — With support from the Palm Springs Cruisin’ Association, the Air Museum is set to host the 17th annual Chili Cook-Off and Car Show.

Kick off your Halloween by checking out some cool cars and enjoying warm treats, including chili made by the museum’s volunteers.

The event aims to bring car enthusiasts and the community together for a day of food, fun and classic cars. Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Dakota Makinen

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Some of the most meaningful gifts are the ones we make ourselves, some made one stitch at a time.

A Cathedral City woman is putting her love of quilting to work, creating something special for the men and women who served our country. News Channel 3’s Dakota Makinen introduces us to Judy Q. Block, who puts her heart and her hands into every quilt she creates.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – The California Highway Patrol has issued a Silver Alert for a 91-year-old woman last seen Friday morning in Palm Desert.

Annmarie Schreiber was last seen at 8:30 a.m. in Palm Desert. She is believed to be driving a white 2003 Honda Odyssey with a California License Plate 8TNW216

Schreiber is described as five feet, two inches tall, weighing 120 pounds, with gray hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and white pants.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.

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City News Service

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – One adult was displaced today after an RV mobile home was engulfed in flames today in Desert Hot Springs.

The non-injury blaze was reported shortly before 4:50 p.m. Friday in the area of Pierson Boulevard and Serendipity Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The Red Cross was requested to assist the displaced individual at the scene.

Crews were expected to remain at the scene for an additional hour to douse the flames.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

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KESQ News Team

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — Halloween celebrations are bringing thousands of people to downtown Palm Springs this weekend, giving local businesses a chance to bring in more customers.

The annual Halloween party on Arenas Road is taking place Friday and Saturday, with music, dancing, entertainment and costume contests.

The free event runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. both nights and attracts locals and visitors looking to celebrate Halloween.

Check Out: Halloween Events Across The Coachella Valley

For businesses in downtown, the crowds can mean more people stopping in for food, drinks and shopping.

Restaurants, bars and nightclubs in the area are hoping the festivities bring in more customers and boost sales during the weekend.

Events like this can play an important role in supporting downtown businesses by bringing people into the area and encouraging them to spend locally.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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City News Service

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – An ex-Riverside County sheriff’s deputy who searched a secure computer network without permission, or a legitimate reason, pleaded guilty today to misdemeanor charges and was immediately sentenced to a year of probation.

Matthew Enrique Estrada, 53, of Blythe on Friday admitted two counts of unlawfully accessing privileged information via government computers. The charges were originally filed as felonies, but under a pretrial agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, the offenses were reduced to misdemeanors.

During a hearing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, Superior Court Judge John Ryan certified the terms of the agreement and imposed the stipulated sentence, which, along with 12 months’ probation, included a requirement that Estrada relinquish his Peace Officer Standards & Training — POST — certification, making him ineligible to work as a law enforcement officer anywhere in California.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Perez, detectives learned on June 24, 2025, that on several occasions, Estrada “accessed confidential” data without prior authorization or justification.

There were no details on what he sought to obtain during the activity.

Sufficient evidence was garnered by the sheriff’s Special Investigations Bureau in the ensuing months to submit a request for charges from the District Attorney’s Office, and prosecutors filed a criminal complaint on May 29, 2026.

Estrada was employed as a deputy sheriff from June 2007 to the fall of 2026. He had been most recently assigned to the Colorado River Station in Blythe.

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City News Service

LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – Two men, one of whom is believed to be the boyfriend of the sister of a former “Saturday Night Live” writer, were in custody today in connection with the killing of the 38-year-old woman.

Christina Downer, sister of Jimmy Fowlie, was reported missing Dec. 18, 2025, after her ex-husband requested a welfare check after not hearing from her for an extended period of time, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police said Downer’s boyfriend, 41-year-old Delorean Bijon Brandon, claimed she had moved out of their home several months earlier, leaving behind all her belongings, including her vehicle and dog.

Detectives assigned to the Robbery-Homicide Division assumed the investigation after Downer’s cellphone was later discovered washed ashore on Santa Monica Beach, police said. Investigators ultimately identified Brandon and 34-year-old Kaylee Markowski as individuals responsible for her murder and disposal of her body, concealing their involvement in her death, according to the LAPD.

Detectives located Brandon and Markowski in Los Angeles County of Thursday and took both into custody.

Brandon was arrested in the 6000 block of Garvanza Avenue in Highland Park, while Markowski was apprehended in the 6000 block of Tampa Avenue in Tarzana.

Both suspects were booked at the Metropolitan Detention Center on suspicion of murder, each with bail set at $2 million.

Earlier this month, investigators searched a property in Joshua Tree in connection with Downer’s disappearance. Officials told NBC4 that detectives were led to an Airbnb property during their search.

On April 29, Fowlie wrote in a post on Instagram that LAPD officials informed the family that Downer was “no longer alive” and that the case transitioned from a missing person to a homicide investigation.

“I am sharing this because I believe that whoever is responsible is hoping to erase her in every way possible. I want to amplify her story in the only way I know how. And to express that she was a beautiful person who matters in this world, especially to me,” Fowlie said.

Anyone with information about the murder was urged to contact the LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division West Bureau Section at 213-382-9470. Calls during non-business hours should be directed to 877-527 3247. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visitlacrimestoppers.org.

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