Category: kesq-local-news

Shay Lawson

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) — Multiple Coachella festivalgoers contacted News Channel 3, saying their belongings were stolen from their hotel rooms while they were away at the festival.

Ellie Brownridge said she’s attended Coachella for years with her best friend, Zoe Grober.

Grober said they’ve stayed at La Quinta Resort & Club before.

“We always love this property,” Grober said. “It’s just so disappointing that something like this happened and it’s totally tainted the experience.”

Brownridge and Grober, staying with their husbands, said they returned Saturday morning after the first day of Coachella to find personal items missing — including vintage bags, jewelry, family heirlooms and sunglasses.

They told News Channel 3 they called hotel management and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department — and quickly learned they weren’t alone.

“We met two other groups. In total, I think it’s like 15 people that we know of that this has happened to,” Brownridge said. “I think we’re looking at over $100,000 worth of stuff that’s gone.”

Norelza Rivero, also staying at the resort with her daughter, said she returned from the festival Friday night to find valuables missing from her room.

“My daughter had a Louis Vuitton that my grandmother gave her,” Rivero said. “It was the most valuable thing we owned.”

Rivero said she quickly contacted hotel security and police, but said the hotel’s cooperation was limited.

“He didn’t appear to enjoy that I had called a police officer,” Rivero said. “Moreover, when the police officer asked if they would be willing to give him any information… he wasn’t cooperative with the police officer.”

Rivero said the experience has left her feeling unsafe.

“I just won’t leave the room without one of us in there,” she said.

Both victims said hotel staff responded, but not with the urgency they hoped for.

Some guests told News Channel 3 they believe, “it was an inside job,” although no evidence has been confirmed at this time.

“We’re so concerned that as soon as we leave the property, especially with the lack of urgency and lack of communication,” Grober said. “They’re going to just hope that it goes away and that we stop bothering them.”

The victims said they are speaking out in hopes of getting answers for themselves — and to protect future guests.

“We want some sort of resolution and justice for the groups that were hit this weekend,” Grober said. “But also for next weekend and the weekend after that.”

In a statement to News Channel 3, Chris George, Area Director of Marketing at La Quinta Resort & Club said:

“The safety and security of our hotel guests and team members is our top priority. As soon as we were made aware of claims of theft at the resort, we immediately engaged local law enforcement. At this time, we are unable to provide further information on the ongoing investigation, but are actively working on a swift resolution for all that may be impacted.”

News Channel 3 has reached out to La Quinta Resort & Club management and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. We are still waiting for a response.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage on this developing story.

Tori King

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)– Ace Hotel + Swim Club Palm Springs is quickly becoming a festival season hot-spot, hosting an array of pool parties and activations. The iconic hotel announced it’s offering a lineup of events, pool parties, exclusive offers, and festival-inspired fun for 2025. If you’re hoping to relax after a day at the festival grounds, but want to keep the desert daze going, Ace Palm Springs will have something for everyone.

The iconic hotel partnered with Hurry Up Slowly, one of the worlds’ fastest-rising events series. Hurry Up Slowly is an experiential events concept focused around immersive musical and Artistic voyages from a team of curators with over 30 years of experience. Native to Miami Florida, with more global aspirations on the horizon, the East-Coast tastemakers have quickly formed a unique identity within the industry’s electronic music landscape, welcoming renowned international artists, Global Brand Partners and more.

The hotel will host weekend pool parties spanning from Weekend One of Coachella to Stagecoach, featuring DJ’s from all over the world. The pool party starts every Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. offering guests plenty of sunshine, beats, and fun. Attendees can dance the day away by the pool until sunset at 7 p.m.

The DJ lineup for Festival Season at Ace Hotel + Swim Club Palm Springs 2025:

Friday, April 11 – Sofyen

Saturday, April 12 – Hurry Up Slowly + Kaz James & More 

Sunday, April 13 – Saint Gilo + More 

Friday, April 18 – DJ Pyramido

Saturday, April 19 – Hurry Up Slowly + Les Baklavas 

Sunday, April 20 – G@tto + More 

Saturday, April 26 – Nam + More 

Sunday, April 27 – Saint Gilo + More

Festival-goers will also be treated to a variety of delicious, festival-inspired food and drinks. The Ace hotel’s menu will pay tribute to Coachella’s main acts, with creatively themed bites and cocktails like the “Party for You” cocktail and ‘brat green’ inspired bites. 

Photography by Christian Zajiceck.

Event tickets will be available for purchase onsite. Hotel guests will have complimentary pool access and may reserve chaise lounges or daybeds with a minimum spend. The Commune Pool will also be available to hotel guests free of charge, and chaise lounges will be first come, first serve. Event is 21+. 11:00 am – 7:00 pm | Saturday April 19, 2025

Swim Club Pool events are open to hotel guests and day pass guests only.

Tori King

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ)– For the very first time, the city of Indio hosted ‘Echo Lounge’, a community experience meant to bring a taste of the Coachella Music festival to the community.

The city first made the announcement of the ‘Echo Lounge’, earlier this week, which was created to give residents that ‘festival feeling’ at home.“The reason why we called it the ‘Echo Lounge’ is because we’re an echo distance from the actual festivals,” explained Ramirez-Cornejo. “We wanted to provide that festival vibe, that festival experience, to residents, to people who aren’t going to the festival.”

The event kicked off at 9 a.m. and runs through 9 p.m. on Saturday.

It’s taking place at Center Stage downtown.

The event will feature yoga sessions, sound baths, a live DJ set, and in an effort to really bring Coachella to locals, the festival will be live streamed on an enormous screen throughout the day.”We are the city of festivals, and so why not provide something to the community so that the community can enjoy as well,” said Ramirez-Cornejo.

More information on Echo Lounge and a schedule of events can be found here.

Cynthia White

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Desert Water Agency is giving a project update on the Historic Tennis Club and Downtown Area Pipeline Replacement Project.

Officials say the project is underway, with a change to the street schedule. Starting Monday, April 14, the community will start to notice heavier construction beginning on West Arenas Road, then moving east and south to the other streets, as shown in the agency’s map:

Traffic control will be in place, and the work is anticipated to be complete at the end of May or early June.

For more information, go to www.dwa.org/pipelines.

Kendall Flynn

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Coachella has a 125,000 people capacity each day, causing long lines and wait times to get into the festival grounds. Attendees travel from across the country for the music and arts, but it can be a tiring experience, especially in 100 degree heat.

Friday festival goers were faced with triple digit heat, making waiting outside difficult.

“It’s hot,” Renee Boykin said. “I’m not gonna lie. It’s real hot.”

“It’s definitely hotter than last year,” Luis Heredia said. “We came weekend two, and it was about 20 degrees less hot, so just getting used to the extra heat.”

But visitors are doing what they can to cope with the heat, and making sure it doesn’t become a more serious issue.

“It’s bearable, just get a cold towel and slap it on your neck,” Andrew Webb said. “But it’s just staying in the shade, staying out of the heat, but drink a lot of water.”

Heredia had a simple answer of how he planned to cope with the heat.

“Water. Water. Water. Water,” Heredia said.

Even though the heat can be tiring, visitors said their not going to let it stop them from enjoying their favorite artists. Friday night had popular headliners with Lady Gaga and Missy Elliott, making visitors ensure they brace all the Coachella Valley elements no matter what.

“It’s hot, but just a little Liquid I.V., a little water, a good attitude [and] you almost don’t feel it,” Zak Berman said.

Even with the Friday excitement, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is just getting started, and visitors have two more weekends of concerts and fun in the sun.

Stay with News Channel 3 for your Coachella coverage and more of what you need to know throughout the festival.

Athena Jreij

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) — The Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival brings a business boom to hotels, local dining and also, transportation services around the Valley.

Momo Elewa with Bald Eagle Transportation says festival season is the companies busiest time of the year, with his 21 cars averaging nearly 80 rides a day.

“Some people, we take them because we want to make sure that they are safe, so we take them for free,” Elewa said.

He advises festival-goers to plan their transportation ahead of time, as catching a taxi or using ride share can cost you a pretty penny.

Indio Police are also encouraging attendees plan their transportation ahead of time and to beware of suspicious drivers on the road.

“Some people are in a hurry and they’ll flag down the ride share right in the middle of the street, and they’ll run out into the street in traffic and, put themselves in danger because they can easily be hit.”

Preparation won’t just keep you safe, it could also save you some money.

According to Uber, festival surge prices will raise rates 50% every mile and 50% every minute for rides in the greater Palm Springs area.

It’s why many are opting for a safer option, the Coachella shuttle pass.

“The cars kind of create this big traffic jam, and the shuttle is probably a much easier way to get in.”

Garrett Hottle

THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – An update to a fire in Thermal reported Friday evening by News Channel 3 – CAL FIRE reports that the vegetation fire broke out near Harrison Street and Airport Boulevard in Thermal around 5:30 p.m., and was successfully contained within 40 minutes.

According to CAL FIRE, the fire was burning at a slow rate of speed in a field with no structures threatened, and it grew to a 50 by 100 foot area before containment.

Resources included six engines, a water tender, and a bulldozer.

Photos courtesy of CAL FIRE Battalion 6 RivCo

Cynthia White

LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) — Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park is offering camping options for festivalgoers looking for nearby affordable camping options.

The park is located about 20 minutes from the festival venue. The campground offers RV, tent, and car camping sites.

Sites with water and electric hookups are available for $75 per night, while dry sites are offered at $50 per night. The campground offers scenic mountain views, a picturesque lake, showers and other convenient amenities.

Reservations can be made at RivCoParks.org or onsite. Onsite reservations must be made before 9:00 p.m.

For more information, contact the campground at (760) 564-4712.