Category: kesq-local-news

Shay Lawson

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)  – Thousands gathered in downtown Palm Springs for the 28th Annual Veterans Day Parade & Concert: Honoring All Who Serve.

Organizers say the parade is of the largest in Southern California.

It featured marching bands, veterans’ organizations, classic cars concluding with a patriotic concert by the 300th Army Reserve Band and a fireworks finale.

Dr. Stephan Scoggins, veteran, said seeing the community show up means so much.

“I’ve attended the parades for many years,” Scoggins said. “I love it. It’s a true fellowship. It’s family, and it’s absolutely a reminder to be grateful and appreciative of all of those who have served.”

Hear from more veterans and attendees in the full report at 10 and 11 p.m.

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Garrett Hottle

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) A new Veterans Day tradition rolled into the Coachella Valley this week as the parking lot outside Acrisure Arena transformed into a massive car-buying event complete with gratitude for those who’ve served.

The first-ever Acrisure Arena Auto Sale, running through Sunday, November 16, features hundreds of new and used vehicles from local dealerships, including Jessup Auto Plaza. Veterans and active-duty service members who stop by to test drive a vehicle are receiving free tickets to an upcoming Coachella Valley Firebirds home game.

“It’s just a small token of our appreciation,” said Daniel Jessup, CEO and General Manager of Jessup Auto Plaza. “If you’ve put on a uniform and served our country that’s all you need to do. Come down, see us, and we’ll give you a Firebirds ticket for tonight’s home game.”

Jessup, whose family business has been locally owned and veteran-run for three generations, says the event carries special meaning. “My grandfather was in the Navy, my father a Vietnam Air Force veteran, and my brother a Marine Corps captain. Supporting veterans has always been part of who we are,” he said.

Among those taking part were members of the Palm Springs Corvette Club many of whom are veterans themselves. Jack Carter, a Navy diver, said events like this show how much the valley values service. “It’s an honor to serve. And it means a lot to have the community behind us,” Carter said.

Fellow club member Bill Jahn added, “It just shows the community appreciates our service and we appreciate the recognition.”

The Acrisure Arena Auto Sale continues through Sunday, November 16, offering deals on hundreds of vehicles and special giveaways throughout Veterans Week.

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KESQ News Team

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The city of Desert Hot Springs honored veterans with gratitude to the brave men and women who have served our country.

“I was wounded January 1st, 1968. I was blown out of the military 1113A1 track, blown into a tree out the back door,” said Eddie G. Johnson, a Vietnam Veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and caretaker of Veterans Park.

Johnson was presented with a plaque honoring his commitment to service even long after his military service.

“His lifelong commitment to service — both to his country and to our community — stands as an example of what it truly means to serve,” reads a post by the city.

The city’s event featured presentations, patriotic music, and community reflection.

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City News Service

RIVERSIDE. Calif. (KESQ) – A registered sex offender accused of pimping out a teenager for call girl services in the Riverside metropolitan area and elsewhere will stand trial on felony charges.  

Deirdrick Dayvon Bradford, 31, of Rosamond was arrested last month following a Riverside Police Department investigation stemming from an earlier FBI operation.

At the end of a preliminary hearing Monday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Joshlyn Pulliam found there was sufficient evidence to bound Bradford over for trial on charges of human trafficking, possession of child pornography and pimping of a minor. One related felony count was dismissed by the judge.   

She scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Nov. 25 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Bradford is being held in lieu of $85,000 bail at the Benoit Detention Center in Indio.  

According to an arrest warrant affidavit filed by the police department, the defendant met the 16-year-old victim allegedly coaxing her into working for him as a prostitute.

The alleged sex trafficking operation was uncovered during an FBI investigation that was turned over to the police department’s Vice Squad in August after agents confirmed the juvenile was from Riverside. By the time detectives interviewed her, she had been placed in a group home for troubled and runaway teens in the city, court papers stated.   

“She admitted to being on escort websites, but claimed her mother posted the ads,” the affidavit said.

Her mobile phone was seized by court order, and a search revealed conversations allegedly involving the girl and a Snapchat user telling her “to send him money — $150,” and there were “screenshots (of him) managing the victim’s ads on Megapersonals, saying he would `bump’ or repost her ad for more visibility,” according to the warrant declaration.   

Further investigation confirmed the girl’s images had been circulated on sex-oriented sites as enticements, including videos of her nude, touching her intimate parts, according to police.

Detectives ultimately confirmed Bradford was the youth’s alleged handler, and that he had been trafficking her in Riverside, Los Angeles and Phoenix, authorities said. In Riverside, the girl was situated near the Tyler Mall to allegedly perform sex services, police said.

The victim evidently tried to alert Bradford that police were onto him, advising via phone message to “delete your Snapchat … and ‘go ghost,'” according to the affidavit.   

Coordinating with the U.S. Marshals, detectives tracked the defendant down in Phoenix on Oct. 24, where he was arrested without incident. He was immediately extradited to California.

According to the California Megan’s Law web portal, the defendant has a prior felony conviction for pimping a minor in 2015, requiring him to register as a sex offender under state Penal Code section 290.

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Jesus Reyes

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – Loved ones are asking for the community’s help in finding a 13-year-old boy last seen in Coachella Sunday night.

Carlos Medina was last seen just before midnight on Nov. 9 near the 85000 block of Avenida Grace.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were told that Medina had left the location. Deputies searched the area but were unable to locate the boy.

“Based on the information provided, Medina was entered into the missing persons database as a runaway,” reads an email from RSO.

Medina is described as five feet, three inches tall, with brown hair and brown eyes. He has a scar near his right eye.

The investigation remain ongoing.

If you have any information, call his family at 442-306-1206 or the Thermal Sheriff’s Station at 760-863-8990

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Kendall Flynn

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – It’s Veteran’s Day, and while the Valley is gearing up for a day of recognition, it’s also a time to acknowledge the mental health struggles local veterans face from their time in the military.

Veterans are 57% more at risk for suicide than non-military adults, and around 6,000 veterans die by suicide each year, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. There are nearly 1.6 million veterans in California alone, making the availability of mental health services in the Valley important.

Veterans commonly deal with mental health conditions like depression, PTSD, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders (SUD).

But research shows seeking treatment is effective in reducing suicide rates heavily. From 2001 to 2022, the Veterans Health Administration saw long term decreasing trends for suicide rates across conditions including a 36.1% decrease from anxiety, 34.5% from depression and 31.6% from PTSD.

To reach out to American Legion Palm Springs Post 519 visit americanlegionpalmsprings.com

For more on veteran benefits and services in California visit calvet.ca.gov

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from local veterans on mental health and resources available to them.

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Gavin Nguyen

YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – Families in the High Desert are receiving assistance from a grassroots fundraiser called ‘The Desert Provides.’

According to organizers, many High Desert families are underserved. The lapses in funding to SNAP/EBT – also known as CalFresh in California – has created challenges for many of the community’s vulnerable residents.

That’s why, a couple of weeks ago, a chef in the Yucca Valley area, known as Chef V, called upon the community to rally to help. Together with other volunteers, the community raised hundreds of dollars in the form of Grocery Outlet gift cards for families in need.

“People need help. And I, as a mother and a chef, felt called to help out with the food insecurity in our area,” said Vavine Tahapehi, otherwise known as Chef V. She began organizing the project about one week ago, and since then, generous donors have pooled together roughly $1,300.

That money went towards about a dozen gift cards – most of which have already been distributed to families in need.

The Flamingo Heights Community Center is the spot where organizers are distributing the gift cards. V acknowledged many families in the High Desert don’t have access to a car, making it difficult to pick up the gift cards; as a result, three other volunteers have stepped up to deliver the gift cards, too.

The president of the community center, Justin Merino, affirmed, “As long as the need exist and folks continue to donate, we’ll continue to distribute the cards.”

Ashley Flores, a single mother of two young boys, was one of the recipients of the assistance. She regularly receives $700 in CalFresh benefits, but when the government shutdown impacted that supplement, she said her anxiety grew.

“Having to determine whether I have enough cash to cover that or whether there’s enough money in savings, do I pay some bills and not others?” she recalled asking herself.

Her eldest son, Logan, goes to school in Landers. Flores said about 90 percent of the families who go to Logan’s school also rely on SNAP benefits. When she heard about the fundraiser the community was heading, she told five other families.

“I sent the info to five other families that I know really, really could use the support. And they’ve all received gift cards through The Desert Provides. And I know that it’s been a huge help and it’s really relieved a lot of that burden for us.”

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Luis Avila

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) — A quiet Palm Desert neighborhood is on edge after a string of late-night doorbell pranks have escalated into acts of vandalism and safety concerns.

Residents say “ding-dong ditch” games have turned into something more serious — with kids not only ringing doorbells but also kicking doors and damaging property.

Security footage from one home shows a group of young people approaching a house late at night, pounding and kicking on the front door before running off. One appears to be filming the incident.

Halley, a resident who asked to remain anonymous, says she was home when it happened Saturday night.

“We were laying in bed reading and it sounded like a bomb went off. It was terrifying. We came out, looked around, and didn’t see anything. We did end up walking down the road and saw them kicking another neighbor’s door and running off.”

Halley, Palm Desert Resident

The impact left scuff marks and footprints on her front door. But she says her biggest concern isn’t the damage — it’s the safety of the kids involved.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department told News Channel 3 that these kinds of incidents can lead to property damage, confrontations, and even injuries. Deputies warn that such pranks could be considered disturbing the peace, vandalism, or trespassing — all of which carry potential criminal penalties.

Halley hopes parents take the incidents seriously and talk to their children before things go too far.

“I think parents should be talking to their teenagers, especially their teenage boys, about this stuff. It’s a funny prank right now, but it’s not funny if someone’s scared and has a gun and might not be all there.”

Halley, Palm Desert Resident

Deputies say they will respond to reports of doorbell pranks, and anyone found responsible could face enforcement action.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs International Film Awards has announced that Michael B. Jordan is the recipient of the Icon Award for his performance in Sinners.

The Film Awards will take place on January 3, 2026, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival running January 2-11, 2026. The event will be presented by Kering and sponsored by Entertainment Tonight.

Check Out Our Film Festival Section for More Announcements

“Michael B. Jordan once again proves why he’s been one of the most compelling performers for the past two decades. In Sinners, his reunion with Ryan Coogler yields a bold and intricate performance as twin brothers Smoke and Stack. Michael’s ability to inhabit two distinct souls with such power and nuance is nothing short of extraordinary. For this remarkable achievement, and for his impressive body of work, we are proud to honor him with the Palm Springs International Film Awards Icon Award,” said Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi.

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

Past winners of the Icon Award include Glenn Close, Willem Dafoe, Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Lady Gaga, Paul Giamatti, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. In their respective years, Close (The Wife), Dafoe (The Florida Project), Duvall (The Judge), Giamatti (The Holdovers) and Streep (August Osage County) were each nominated for an Academy Award.

In Warner Bros. Pictures feature Sinners, twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, who survived combat in WWI and gangland Chicago, return to their hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi with a truck full of liquor to open a juke joint. As music and dance meld in celebration of artistry, culture and history, an evil descends, threatening to devour the heart and soul of the community.

Written and directed by filmmaker Ryan Coogler—and designed with large format in mind, lensing on both proprietary IMAX 15/65mm and on Ultra Panavision 70 cameras—Sinners stars Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, and Delroy Lindo. Sinners marks Jordan and Coogler’s fifth collaboration together, having previously teamed up on Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Director, actor and producer Michael B. Jordan is recognized as an industry leader invested in bringing social change to Hollywood through his art and philanthropy. Jordan first garnered industry-wide attention for his breakout role in Fruitvale Station, which won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival in 2013 among other accolades that year.

In 2019, Jordan was awarded the NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actor and a 2019 SAG Award as part of Black Panther’s Best Ensemble, following critical acclaim for his multi-dimensional portrayal of the tormented Erik Killmonger. His other film credits include Without Remorse, Fahrenheit 451, Just Mercy, Creed and Creed II. In 2023, he made his feature film directorial debut in Creed III.

Next up, he is set to direct and star in MGM’s reimagining of The Thomas Crown Affair. He will also star and produce an adaptation of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six and I am Legend 2, alongside Will Smith.

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Cynthia White

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25) honored and thanked veterans for their service on Monday by presenting to two Riverside County distinguished veterans.

Local veteran Juan Carlos Lopez-Mendoza of Indio was presented with numerous medals, including an Army Commendation, Good Conduct, and Southwest Asia Service Medal & Bronze Star. Lopez-Mendoza served three years in the U.S. Army, with nine months deployed to Iraq during the first Gulf War. His unit worked bravely to protect Kurdish and Iraqi civilians following Saddam Hussein’s chemical attacks in northern Iraq.

Lopez-Mendoza, who has battled a rare form of leukemia for more than two decades, is a strong advocate for fellow veterans after being able to access benefits he earned through the PACT Act in 2022. He helps other veterans navigate the system to get the care and benefits they deserve.

Glenn J. King of Hemet, a U.S. Navy veteran, was also honored and presented with medals, including a National Defense Service Ribbon and a Vietnam Service Medal. He served aboard the USS Currituck (AV-7) off the coast of South Vietnam, where he was exposed to harmful chemical agents, including Agent Orange, which later led to the loss of his eyesight.

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