Category: kesq-local-news

KESQ News Team

In continuing coverage, the death of former local Assemblymember Brian Nestande was back in the headlines on Tuesday.

News Channel 3 is confirming with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office that all fentanyl deaths are investigated as a homicide.

As we reported back in May 2024, an autopsy report confirms the former state assembly member died of an overdose of fentanyl and cocaine.

Nestande was found dead in his home in Palm Desert back in March 2024.

Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez found Nestande’s body after not hearing from him for several days.

News Channel 3’s Karen Devine reached out to Sheriff Chad Bianco and found there are no new updates to the case.

“From the very beginning, when we received toxicology results and learned this was a fentanyl death, we have considered it a homicide investigation,“ Bianco wrote. “We treat all fentanyl deaths as homicides.”

It’s also of note that after questions from multiple local news outlets today, Bianco began by saying, “He doesn’t understand why everyone is reaching out.”

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Shay Lawson

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)  – A Coachella Valley family received the keys to their first home this week after nearly 2 years in the homebuying process.

They ultimately found and qualified for Riverside County’s 20% down assistance program — a program they were connected to through Lift to Rise.

Lift to Rise is a nonprofit organization that works to improve housing stability.

Jose Zavala said he felt excited walking into the home with his wife and 2 children.

“We finally had a home for my family,” Zavala said. “Especially because we have a new baby.”

Zavala said he first learned about the county’s 20% program through a Lift to Rise community workshop where Veronica Lopez, a senior loan officer with Secure Choice Lending, explained how to qualify.

“She talked about different things — like how to find the home, the credit score and how to manage different things,” Zavala said. “That really helped me understand the aspects of buying your first home.”

Lopez said the turning point came when the county raised its income limits earlier this year.

“They were just slightly over the income limit last year,” Lopez said. “When the county announced the updated limits this summer, I immediately called them.”

Zavala encourages other families to get informed.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the full story at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – A Palm Springs man suspected of sexually assaulting multiple minors pleaded not guilty to charges on Monday.

Jesse James Garcia-Airada, 28, faces 18 charges, including multiple sexual assault charges.

According to court documents, investigators believe Garcia-Airada sexually assaulted over 15 girls and provided them with fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, and nicotine vape pens.

Investigators also said they believe Garcia-Airada traveled in and out of California to meet and assault the victims. The recommended bail from investigators was one trillion dollars; however, Garcia-Airada is being held in lieu of bail.

Garcia-Airada was arrested Thursday morning in the area of South Palm Canyon and Linden Way. His arrest came after initial report of sexual assault in May 2025.

“During the course of the investigation, it was learned the suspect had contacted multiple underage females and was offering illegal substances in exchange for sex. Investigators were able to identify multiple underage female victims throughout Riverside County,” reads a news release by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

Garcia-Airada was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center without bail and faces charges of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, along with additional child sexual assault related offenses.

Riverside Sheriff’s investigators believe there may be additional victims and are asking anyone with any additional information to contact Investigator Christine Davis-Arden at the Thermal Sheriff’s Station by calling (760) 863-8990.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates on this case.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Wildlights, the popular holiday lights display, will return to the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens starting Nov. 25.

Wildlights features millions of lights, including spectacular light displays, walk-through lighted exhibits, a 30-foot-tall Christmas tree, and the G-Scale model train, with 3,300 feet of track, decked out for the holidays. There’s also the opportunity to visit some of the Zoo’s African animals including rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and African painted dogs as well as a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus.

The event has been rated a Top 10 Event for six consecutive years by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

Wildlights takes place on select nights at the zoo from November 25 to December 30, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 pm. Tickets range from $22-25 for adults, $18-20 for children, and $20-22 for members.

Visit LivingDesert.org/WildLights for more information. 

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Jesus Reyes

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KESQ) – The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) Board of Directors approved funding to build new power substations in Thousand Palms and La Quinta. It’s a move that IID officials said will help serve increased energy demand due to the area’s rapid residential and commercial growth.

The $23.2 million La Quinta project, known as the Avenue 58 Substation, will be located north of Avenue 58 and west of Monroe Street. Construction is anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2027, with initial service connections expected to be ready by summer 2028.

Officials said 12 private developers will provide the complete funding for the expansion project, with the City of La Quinta and the County of Riverside participating financially in the event of any funding shortfall by a private developer. The developers will have three years to pay their proportional share.

IID officials said the substation will increase electrical service to about 4,000 more customers there and in adjoining areas. It comes after months of discussions over La Quinta’s electrical capacity, as substations serving the area are at or near their limits. News Channel 3’s Shay Lawson covered the issue in February.

The Thousand Palm project, referred to as the Cook Street Substation, is estimated to cost $39.6 million. The Cook Street Substation will be located just west of Cook Street, north of Interstate 10.

It will power approximately 8,000 residential and commercial customers. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, with an in-service date anticipated by summer 2028.

IID officials said it’s a result of the District taking proactive, positive steps, engaging directly with committed Coachella Valley stakeholders.

“We have been working to facilitate creative solutions by working through the tough questions together, and this new substation is a testament to our successful collaborative efforts,” said IID General Manager Jamie Asbury.

IID said it’s one of more than 270 energy projects planned across the district’s service area over the next 15 years to deliver reliable and cost-effective power in support of the communities the District serves.

According to IID, the Cook Street Substation project will be paid through a unique agreement between the County of Riverside, the City of Rancho Mirage, the City of Palm Desert, the Berger Foundation, and two other private developers.

Each entity’s share will be proportionate to its capacity requirements and includes an initial payment of $11.8 million to procure equipment and resources to start the project. The Berger Foundation’s participation has been a key component to success as it is dedicating the site for the infrastructure upgrade.

“The work done to move this key project forward is the result of IID’s commitment to serve our growing Coachella Valley service area, and is a result of smart planning, cooperation, and mutual respect between regions,” said IID Director Karin Eugenio.

While IID’s contribution reflects the benefit to the District’s overall electrical system, and the utility will own, operate, and maintain the substation, the project will not increase costs to the District’s other ratepayers.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE (KESQ) – Home sales rose across the Inland Empire and the state as a whole last month, with statewide sales figures reaching the highest level since February, the California Association of Realtors announced today.   

In Riverside County, closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes rose 6.6% in October over September’s numbers, and were up 9.6% year-over-year.

San Bernardino County’s sales numbers were up 4.5% month-over-month, and 3.8% year-over-year.

Statewide, October sales were up 1.9% from the previous month, and 4.1% year-over-year.   

“Housing demand in California has been steadily improving, with home sales rising for the third month in a row. Even though mortgage rates have inched up since late October, the market remains active, and buyers still have solid opportunities,” said CAR President Tamara Suminski, a Southern California broker and Realtor. “Home prices are growing at a manageable pace, and we’re seeing a healthier balance between buyers and sellers. As we head into 2026, these trends point to a promising moment for anyone considering a move in the California real estate market.”

The sales numbers reported by CAR are on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.

The median selling price of an existing, single-family home in Riverside County was $634,990 last month, up 1.8% from September but virtually unchanged from $635,000 last year.

San Bernardino County’s average price was $491,970 in October, down 1.6% from last month and 1.4% from last year.   

Statewide, the average price was $886,960, 0.4% higher than in September, but 0.2% lower than at this time last year.   

The highest median home price in California in October was San Mateo County’s $2,189,500. The lowest was Trinity County’s $250,000.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Riverside County is continuing to place an emphasis on preserving the lives of pets impounded at the county’s four animal shelters, Department of Animal Services Director Mary Martin said today, renewing the agency’s appeal for residents to consider adopting or fostering dogs and cats going into the holidays.

“Progress has been made toward the `no kill’ goal,” Martin told the county Board of Supervisors during its meeting Tuesday. “We’re doing everything in our power to find homes for these animals … trying to save as many pets’ lives as possible.”

Martin was present for a 5-0 board vote approving the department’s request for a five-year contract, valued at an aggregate $1.5 million, with Downey-based TLC Animal Removal Services for the disposal of pets who either die in the shelters, or are recovered dead by animal control officers while on patrol.  

The carcasses are taken to landfills for burial.   

One speaker, a Nuevo woman, appeared before the board to suggest the Department of Animal Services was engaged in animal “rendering,” or the use of some canines’ and felines’ remains for the production of animal feed products. But Martin said there was no such policy on the books.

“All (dead) animals are removed from the shelters and buried in landfills,” she told the board.

The agency director acknowledged that not all impounded pets “can be seen by the public,” but she denied there was anything sinister about the practice.

“Some of them are housed separately for quarantine or due to cruelty investigations,” Martin said.

She used her time at the podium to call on residents this holiday season to consider participating in foster programs, which involve taking home dog or cat for short- or long-term periods to free up shelters’ space, as well as to formally adopt lost, abandoned or abused animals permanently.

“You can’t help but fall in love with them (when visiting the shelters),” Martin said.

In May, the board approved the “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 four 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 and expedited “trap-neuter-return-to-field” programs that were inaugurated in March 2024.

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.

In September 2024, 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 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 pet fostering and adoption programs can be found at rcdas.org/.

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Jesus Reyes

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A man who fatally beat a 77-year-old woman living in the same Palm Desert apartment complex was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

Ryan Alkana, 38, was officially sentenced Tuesday morning. He was convicted of murder and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a weapon during a felony in April 2023.

He was initially arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of Mary Louise Brown, who was found lying face-down in a pool of blood on Jan. 31, 2019, inside a laundry room at the apartment complex in the 7400 block of Candlewood Street.

Brown died on Feb. 19, 2019, at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, leading prosecutors to amend the charge to murder, with a sentence enhancement of using a weapon in the killing.

During a preliminary hearing, Riverside County Sheriff’s Investigator Matthew Diaz said Alkana admitted to the attack while in custody.   

“He said he used a metal carabiner and a towel wrapped around it as to not injure his hand,” Diaz said. “He said he used a closed fist 20 to 30 times.”

Deputies who testified also said Alkana changed his story multiple times during interviews.  

Alkana is due to return to court for a trial on January 22 related to a crime that happened in jail after the murder.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) Lance Bass, one-fifth of the renowned vocal group NSYNC, will serve as the celebrity tree lighter at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. 

The ceremony will be held on Sunday, December 7. News Channel 3’s Chief Meteorologist and “Eye on the Desert” Host Patrick Evans will again emcee this year’s event at the Tramway’s Mountain Station. Festivities are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. with the Palm Springs High School Madrigal Choir performing holiday favorites.

Following their performance, Bass will light the Tram’s landmark 45-foot tree comprised of over 4,000 LED lights, which can be seen throughout the Coachella Valley.

From small-town Mississippi to global pop icon, Lance Bass has spent over 25 years entertaining the world: singing, producing, and hosting. As a member of NSYNC, he helped define 2000s pop music, selling over 70 million records, earning multiple major awards, and releasing one of the fastest-selling albums in history, “No Strings Attached.” In 2023, the group reunited with “Better Place,” which debuted at #1 on iTunes.

Beyond the stage, Bass has produced films, hosted hit shows and podcasts, and co-owns one of the top entertainment venues in West Hollywood. In 2021, he and husband Michael Turchin, welcomed twins Violet and Alexander, inspiring his first of many children’s books, “Trick or Treat on Scary Street,” which also became a New York Times Best Seller.

Bass and his family have a home in Palm Springs and were recently spotted out at VillageFest during Halloween.

A passionate LGBTQ+ advocate and philanthropist, Bass is also a voice in the diabetes awareness space and a board member of the Environmental Media Association. Whether raising awareness, raising twins, or raising eyebrows on TikTok, Bass continues to evolve with purpose, creativity, and heart.

The tree lighting ceremony is open to the public and is included with regular Tram admission.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Leonardo DiCaprio will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor, at the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival, organizers announced on Monday.

DiCaprio is being honored for his performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another

“In One Battle After Another, Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a riveting and emotionally charged performance, embodying a man pushed to his breaking point in the face of relentless adversity,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi. “Across his career, DiCaprio has continually redefined what is possible in screen acting—bringing emotional depth, artistic integrity, and fearless commitment to every role. It is our honor to present him with the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor, in recognition of his enduring influence and exceptional body of work.”

DiCaprio joins this year’s previously announced honorees Michael B. Jordan (Icon Award), Adam Sandler (Chairman’s Award) and Sentimental Value cast members Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and Elle Fanning (International Star Award).

The Film Awards will take place on January 3, 2026, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival running January 2-12, 2026. The event will be presented by Kering and sponsored by Entertainment Tonight.

Check Out Our Film Festival Section for More Announcements

Past actor recipients of the Desert Palm Achievement Award include Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal), Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), Adrien Brody (The Brutalist), Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood), Adam Driver (Marriage Story), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick… Boom!), Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club), Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer), Gary Oldman (Mank), Sean Penn (Milk), Brad Pitt (Moneyball) and Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything).

In the years they were honored, Bridges, Brody, Day-Lewis, McConaughey, Murphy, Oldman, Penn and Redmayne went on to win the Academy Award® for Best Actor, while Ahmed, Cooper, Driver, Garfield, Farrell, Firth and Pitt received Best Actor Oscar® nominations.

From Warner Bros. Pictures comes One Battle After Another, written, directed and produced by Paul Thomas Anderson follows Washed-up revolutionary Bob (DiCaprio) who exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off- grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti). When his evil nemesis (Sean Penn) resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, father and daughter both battling the consequences of his past

DiCaprio, who owns a home in Palm Springs, is no stranger to the film festival.

He was honored in 2009 with an Ensemble Performance Award for Revolutionary Road.

He returned in 2024 when Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon received the Vanguard Award.

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